Attaullah Tarar – (Staff Reporter/Web Desk) – The Hashim Moosa encounter has become a major talking point after Pakistan presented a living man whom India named as the dead militant. Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said this has exposed what he called false claims by the Indian army.
Tarar shared his reaction in a post on X on Friday. He said Muhammad Asif is alive and well, so the questions about the identity of the dead man are now serious.
The question which arises from DG ISPR’s Press Conference is that since M Asif is alive and well, the Indian Army must have killed an innocent Kashmiri whose body they claim to have recovered.
Since DG ISPR has presented M Asif in his press conference, the Indian side has a lot… https://t.co/ZcvvicksFL
— Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) October 2, 2026
He asked a direct question to India. If the man named by Indian authorities is alive, which innocent Kashmiri was actually killed?
The minister called the Indian attempt a big embarrassment. He said India tried to present the body of an innocent Kashmiri as Muhammad Asif. He also urged the Indian Army to explain the matter to the international community.
His comments came a day after DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry held a press conference on Thursday. At the event, Muhammad Asif appeared before the media in person.
Asif told reporters that he is alive and living with his family. He also said he retired from the Pakistan Army in 2023.
India had earlier claimed that a Lashkar-e-Taiba militant named Muhammad Asif, also known as Hashim Moosa, was killed in an operation in Indian-occupied Kashmir. Pakistan’s military has rejected this claim.
According to the DG ISPR, the operation began on September 29 in the Korag area of Yousmarg. He said Indian Army, police and CRPF units took part in it.
Indian authorities later said a Lashkar-e-Taiba militant had been killed. They named him as Muhammad Asif. The DG ISPR said Indian government bodies and media outlets then linked him to the Pakistan Army and its Special Services Group.
News agencies reported that Indian authorities described the dead man as a senior Lashkar-e-Taiba commander. Pakistan’s military said he had been wrongly identified.
The appearance of the living Asif is now the main point of Pakistan’s reply. It directly challenges the Indian version of events.
At the time of reporting, India had not responded to the Pakistani military’s claim. Readers should note that the two sides have given very different accounts, and neither has been independently verified here.
The question of who was killed in Yousmarg remains open. Pakistan wants India to answer it. Until Indian authorities respond with proof, the debate is likely to continue.
Please note that all statements in this report are attributed to the officials who made them.
[…] firing came just one day after another claim from India was challenged in public. Pakistan’s military said it had exposed a false-flag operation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. India […]