Aayushi Rana 
A picture is currently being circulated on X by several Pakistan-based accounts, showing a green flag with a crescent and star being waved in the air. Users sharing the image of Pakistani flag and claim it was taken in Kerala, India.
One such account, Tactical Tribune, posted the image with the caption: “Pakistani flags were seen waving in India’s Kerala state. Indian Police have been put in panic mode to take action.”
Notably, Tactical Tribune has a known history of spreading cross-border misinformation and has been identified as a repeat offender in sharing misleading and unverified content.
Fact Check
Upon close inspection of the viral image, it becomes evident that the flag shown does not match the official design of Pakistan’s national flag. The Pakistani flag includes a white vertical stripe at the hoist (the part attached to the pole), representing the country’s minority communities. In contrast, the flag in the viral photo is entirely green with a crescent and star, lacking the distinctive white band. This indicates the flag is an Islamic flag, not Pakistan’s national flag.
Since the crescent and star are positioned in the top corner of the flag seen in the image, it also closely resembles the flag of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). The IUML is a recognized political party in Kerala, officially registered with the Election Commission of India. It is a long-standing ally of the Indian National Congress and is part of the United Democratic Front (UDF) coalition in the state.
This resemblance further supports the conclusion that the flag in question is not Pakistan’s, but rather likely an IUML or Islamic organizational flag, often used in local political or religious events in Kerala.
To verify the context, we searched for any credible news reports of such an incident occurring recently in Kerala. No such events involving Pakistani flags being waved were reported. While Kerala has witnessed rallies and demonstrations where Islamic flags have been displayed, none of these involved the Pakistani national flag, nor did they trigger any widespread panic among law enforcement.
A historical example from August 2019 adds context: during a college election campaign at Silver Arts and Science College in Kozhikode, members of the Muslim Students Federation (MSF) carried a green-and-white flag resembling Pakistan’s. The controversy was quickly resolved when local authorities clarified it was not an actual Pakistani flag, and appropriate action was taken without any panic police response.
Conclusion
The claim that Pakistani flags were waved in Kerala and that the Indian police panicked is misleading. The flag in question is not Pakistan’s but an Islamic flag, and there is no official record or credible evidence of such an incident taking place recently. The viral narrative appears to be part of a pattern of cross-border misinformation aimed at stirring controversy.
Nisar Ahmed Siddiqui 