As visuals of India’s Operation Sindoor flooded social media, panic gripped many citizens across Pakistan. In the early hours of Wednesday, India carried out strategic strikes on terror camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), two weeks after the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 civilian lives.
The Indian Army confirmed the objective behind the mission: to dismantle launchpads and camps used by terror groups operating across the Line of Control (LoC). The precision strikes triggered a wave of anxious searches across Pakistani regions including Islamabad, Punjab, and Sindh.
Google Flooded With Queries From Pakistan
As the news broke, Pakistani citizens took to Google in large numbers, asking questions like:
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“What is Operation Sindoor?”
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“India missile attack?”
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“India fired missile Pakistan?”
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“India declares war?”
Interestingly, one of the top trending searches was “What is Sindoor?” The term, traditionally associated with vermillion used by Indian married women, had taken on a symbolic new meaning. Sindoor was referenced in connection with the Pahalgam killings, where many newly married men were among the victims. The vermillion, worn as a symbol of love and identity, also echoed the warrior spirit behind India’s retaliatory strikes.
Other top searches included “What is Sindoor in English?” and “Operation Sindoor wiki,” showing a clear surge in public curiosity and concern.
White Flag and War Speculations Surge
A particularly revealing trend was the search for “white flag”, which signifies surrender in warfare. In military contexts, it involves soldiers waving a white cloth or handkerchief to signal a ceasefire. The spike in this search term hinted at rising fears among locals over potential escalation.
Another major keyword topping Pakistan’s Google Trends was “India declares war”. Variants like “India Pakistan war today” and “war update” reflected growing uncertainty and anxiety over the situation.
India has maintained that Operation Sindoor was a focused and non-escalatory mission. As the Defence Ministry stated, “Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted.” However, the online behavior in Pakistan shows just how seriously the move was perceived across the border.
