Hackers claiming to be from Pakistan defaced websites of seven Indian embassies, high commissions, and consulates in various countries with pro-Pakistan Army slogans on Wednesday.

A screenshot of the Indian Embassy of India in Ankara's hacked website.
A screenshot of the Indian Embassy of India in Ankara's hacked website.

In an email sent to journalists, the hackers claimed to target Indian missions in Ankara, Athens, and Mexico City.

Missions in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Bucharest, Romania as well as Dushanbe, Tajikistan and South Africa's Pretoria were also defaced by the hackers referring to themselves as "Romantic" and "Intruder".

A screenshot of the Embassy of India in Athens' hacked website.
A screenshot of the Embassy of India in Athens' hacked website.

The text defacing the sites of Dushanbe, Ankara and Athens read brief, jarring phrases such as "Don't Be Panic", "We Rock and U Shock", "Pakistan Zindabad", and "Feel the Power of Pakistan".

When Dawn.com attempted to access the seven sites, only Athens, Dushanbe, and Ankara seemed to be defaced, while the others appeared to be restored.

A representative from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad declined to comment on the issue.

Cross-border hacking attacks have been sporadic yet common since at least 1998. The Lahore High Court's website has been hacked twice by Indian hackers recently, while Pakistani hackers have attacked National Institute of Technology (NIT) Raipur's website.

Opinion

Editorial

Digital growth
Updated 25 Apr, 2024

Digital growth

Democratising digital development will catalyse a rapid, if not immediate, improvement in human development indicators for the underserved segments of the Pakistani citizenry.
Nikah rights
25 Apr, 2024

Nikah rights

THE Supreme Court recently delivered a judgement championing the rights of women within a marriage. The ruling...
Campus crackdowns
25 Apr, 2024

Campus crackdowns

WHILE most Western governments have either been gladly facilitating Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, or meekly...
Ties with Tehran
Updated 24 Apr, 2024

Ties with Tehran

Tomorrow, if ties between Washington and Beijing nosedive, and the US asks Pakistan to reconsider CPEC, will we comply?
Working together
24 Apr, 2024

Working together

PAKISTAN’S democracy seems adrift, and no one understands this better than our politicians. The system has gone...
Farmers’ anxiety
24 Apr, 2024

Farmers’ anxiety

WHEAT prices in Punjab have plummeted far below the minimum support price owing to a bumper harvest, reckless...