Overview

• In a June 16 parliamentary address, Khawaja Asif claimed Pakistan’s cyber warriors extinguished floodlights at a May 8 IPL match and released water from Indian dams
• The BCCI determined that a significant technical failure, not cyber sabotage, caused the floodlight outage that halted the Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals match in Dharamsala
• Social media users mocked Asif’s assertions by highlighting the impracticality of hacking stadium lights and pointing out Pakistan’s own ongoing electricity shortages
• Asif’s latest statement follows earlier unverified claims about downed Indian fighter jets and reflects a pattern of unsupported cybersecurity boasts from Islamabad
• The incident underscores heightened India-Pakistan hostilities since the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and India’s subsequent Operation Sindoor