Teacher, Not Terrorist: J&K Court Orders FIR Against Indian TV Channels Over False Reporting in Operation Sindoor

In a stunning blow to media accountability, a Poonch court in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir has ordered FIRs to be registered against Zee News and News18 India for falsely branding Qari Mohammad Iqbal, a local teacher, as a “terrorist” during their coverage of Operation Sindoor. The decision comes nearly two months after Iqbal’s death in the May 7 Pahalgam incident, which investigators later confirmed was collateral damage—not terrorism.

Iqbal, a 47-year-old school teacher from Poonch, was among the victims killed during an anti-militancy operation. However, multiple mainstream Indian news outlets ran sensationalized and unverified reports, calling him everything from a “top LeT commander” to the “mastermind of Pulwama.” CNN-News18, for instance, claimed he operated terror factories in PoK, while Zee News went as far as labeling him NIA’s most wanted terrorist. Republic TV also joined the chorus of misinformation, contributing to the media lynching of an innocent man.

The misreporting led to public outrage, especially among rights activists and the Kashmiri community. Advocate Sheikh Mohammad Saleem filed a petition in the Poonch court demanding accountability for the malicious and defamatory broadcasts. After reviewing the facts, the court issued a directive for police to register FIRs against the TV channels involved.

This case lays bare the dangerous nexus between state-aligned media and nationalist propaganda, where truth is often sacrificed for ratings and political narratives. It also reinforces a disturbing trend in Indian media: Muslims—especially Kashmiri Muslims—are frequently demonized without evidence. In the rush to brand someone a “terrorist,” due process and factual reporting are ignored.

The real tragedy lies in the delay of truth. It took nearly two months and a legal order for Qari Iqbal to be publicly recognized as a teacher, not a terrorist. Meanwhile, falsehoods were broadcast across millions of homes, tarnishing his name, grieving his family, and reinforcing communal biases.

This incident is not isolated. It reflects how Islamophobic narratives dominate Indian newsrooms, often with impunity. As media disinformation becomes a tool of governance, innocent lives are turned into propaganda targets, even in death.