It is hilarious and pitiful at the same time to watch India struggle with inventing its own narrative and constructing a storyline wherein it could depict its armed forces as valiant and successful. More than three months after Pakistan successfully conducted Operation Bunyanun Marsoos and laid out the true version of events before the world, New Delhi has suddenly woken up and remembered to stage its own play.

New Delhi is trying to sell a myth and to close the stable door after the horse has bolted. Its account of the May events does give a sense of familiarity. However, instead of sending the usual chills, it has brought embarrassment for India, for no one in the world is ready to accept a storyline that does not even make sense.

Conversely, credibility surrounded Pakistan’s narrative, and it did what any responsible state should do. It held press briefings for the foreign media immediately after the operation, wherein the military shared facts regarding the conflict and laid out the sequence of events. Moreover, it repeated with consistency that Pakistan did not want escalation, but would not sit idle in the face of aggression. Later, the government issued a list of martyrs, and awarded them posthumously while upholding the dignity of sacrifice without delay, for it had nothing to hide. Civilian leadership and military officers were also presented with national honors for their professionalism.

On the other hand, India has tried to follow suit. Although its so-called “briefings” were full of bluster, they lacked evidence to substantiate the claims made. Interestingly, its “martyrs” were suddenly discovered after weeks of silence. The way India produced a gazetted list of medals meant to sound heroic is just absurd. It appears these paper medals for paper victories have been announced not to recognize sacrifice but to salvage pride. Even the saner voices within India have admitted that the “victory” their government claims sounds more like a bedtime story than a battlefield account. It is safe to say that the entire affair is less an operation than a clumsy attempt at mimicry.

India’s operational success, however, is confined to revisionist podcasts and state-controlled briefings. The story that New Delhi is trying to sell to its own people is almost the same as Pakistan’s, but with the roles reversed. In that sense, if imitation is the highest form of flattery, Pakistan should perhaps take this entire episode as an unintended compliment

The way the Indian media has tried to bolster this story is no less pathetic. Pseudo-analysts and anchors on satellite channels and in podcasts have boasted about how Indian jets hit Muridke and Bahawalpur, and turned Pakistani airbases to dust. While the civilian population was indeed targeted, the proof offered by Indian stooges amounted to nothing but vague claims. On the other hand, the world saw Indian aircraft being shot down in the sky and their wreckage scattered across Indian soil. The main difference between the two accounts is that while Islamabad produced evidence, New Delhi produced adjectives.

Pakistan’s operation was executed in real time, explained in real time, and concluded with credibility. India’s operational success, however, is confined to revisionist podcasts and state-controlled briefings. The story that New Delhi is trying to sell to its own people is almost the same as Pakistan’s, but with the roles reversed. In that sense, if imitation is the highest form of flattery, Pakistan should perhaps take this entire episode as an unintended compliment. That being said, it is funny how New Delhi has reduced itself to a plagiarist, copying Pakistan’s homework long after the exam was over.

New Delhi does not stop here. In a hilariously predictable twist, the Modi government has unveiled its “Mission Sudarshan Chakra”. This initiative appears to have been borrowed from Israel's Iron Dome playbook, under which India plans to erect a multi-layered air and missile defense shield by 2035, hoping it would magically shield it from reality. This pipe dream is borne of desperation, as the Modi government apparently wants to give the people some sort of assurance before it again opts of adventurism. After all, building an overlapping network of advanced surveillance and interception systems is not just ambitious but impossible.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has confidently moved forward with the formation of the Army Rocket Force Command. This dedicated unit will supervise and centralize the military’s arsenal of conventional missiles, from ballistic and cruise to potentially hypersonic wonders. The foremost aim of this force is to ensure precision and potency in any future conflict.

These developments also point to the stark contrast between the two countries’ preparedness. On one hand, Pakistan sharpens its offensive edge with this new command, focusing on aggressive deterrence and rapid response capabilities that outmatch outdated Indian defenses. New Delhi, however, decides to play defense, hiding behind shields that exist more on paper than in practice. One thing is certain that this would fundamentally alter the course of warfare in the region.

India must realize that the dangerous propaganda it is brewing has the potential to heat things up again. By exaggerating its reach and inventing victories, India risks believing its own lies. However, the world can tell the difference between authenticity and performance.

The world also sees how New Delhi is just following Islamabad’s steps like a laggard, copying every move without conviction. When Pakistan gave briefings, India did the same. When Pakistan honored its heroes and martyrs, India replicated the ceremonies for its supposed heroes and martyrs. Even the awards ceremony itself was a parody.

However, at the end of the day, Pakistan stands where it stood in May—confident, restrained, and unashamed of the truth. India, however, stands where it always feared to be—on the defensive. This is what happens when a state tries to spin a victory out of thin air. The world knows the truth that the eggs in India’s basket are nothing but shells, hollow and cracked. In trying to copy Pakistan’s model, it has only exposed itself as a follower. It is high time for the Modi government to understand that when the curtain falls, the applause goes to the original, not the imitator.