Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif faced widespread ridicule after claiming in Parliament that Pakistani “cyber warriors” had hacked the floodlights during an Indian Premier League (IPL) match, causing a blackout.
Khawaja Asif’s statement likely referred to a match between the Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in Dharamshala on May 8, 2025, leading to significant online trolling.
Speaking in the Pakistani National Assembly, Asif boasted, “Our cyber warriors launched attacks on India, shut off lights in a cricket stadium, stopped an IPL match, released water from Indian dams, and disrupted their electricity grid.” He attributed these actions to Pakistan’s “indigenous technology.” However, the Dharamshala match was halted due to an air raid alert amid India’s Operation Sindoor, not a cyberattack, per News18.
Hootiye @KhawajaMAsif,⁰Just so you know—IPL floodlights don’t run on WiFi, they run on secure electrical systems. You can’t hack them like a home router. 😄
Claiming a “cyber attack” for switching off stadium lights just proves one thing—you clearly did your schooling in a…
— Deepak Arora (@iAroraDeepak) June 14, 2025A 29-second Asif speech clip went viral on X, prompting user mockery. One commented, “IPL floodlights don’t run on WiFi; they’re secure electrical systems,” while another quipped, “First pay your electricity bill,” referencing Pakistan’s power shortages.
Asif’s remarks followed India’s Operation Sindoor, launched May 6–7, 2025, targeting different civilian locations in Pakistan after the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 tourists.
