Exposed: Pakistan's Grand Deception with a Photoshopped "Victory"

Pakistan's Fake Photo Scandal: Unmasking a Web of Deceit

Recently, a photo went viral in Pakistan, showing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif supposedly gifting something to the new Field Marshal Asim Munir. The story behind it? But here's the truth: this photo is completely fake.

Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir gifts a ‘fake’ photograph to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

The Truth Behind the Image

A simple search reveals the photo's real origin: it's from a 2019 Chinese military exercise. It has absolutely no connection to Pakistan, its military operations, or any supposed victory over India. This isn't just a small mistake; it's a deliberate act of deception at the highest levels. Imagine if this happened in India – international media like The New York Times and The Washington Post would be buzzing with articles. Yet, many global media outlets are strangely silent about this clear case of misinformation from Pakistan.

A Pattern of Deception

This fake photo is just one example of a larger pattern. Pakistan has been caught using fake narratives, fabricated articles, and even AI-generated content to create a false image of its military strength and supposed victories against India.

For instance, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister, Ishaq Dar, even quoted a fake, AI-generated article in Parliament, claiming the Pakistan Air Force was the "undisputed king of the sky." This article, supposedly from The Daily Telegraph, never actually existed. The text itself shows it's entirely fake.

AI-generated fake Daily Telegraph report cited by Pakistan minister

Pakistani journalists living in exile, along with Indian journalists, have openly stated that Pakistan's claims of victory are built on lies. In reality, Pakistan has suffered heavy losses and lacks any real proof of downing Indian fighter jets.

The Global Information War

It's clear that this isn't just about one fake photo; it's a high-stakes information war. China, in particular, seems to be a major player in supporting Pakistan's false narratives. It wouldn't be surprising if Chinese war-related departments are creating these images and handing them over to Pakistan to spread on social media.

Sadly, Pakistan, with China's help, often gains an edge in this information war. We've seen videos on YouTube, possibly by Russian creators, claiming India suffered heavy losses, with no real evidence to back it up. These videos often just repeat Pakistani military briefings.

Pakistan Uses Morphed Image To Claim Its Navy's Operational Readiness

India is actively working to counter this. Our diplomats, like Shashi Tharoor and Dr. S. Jaishankar, are engaging with international media and publishing articles to present the truth. However, India faces challenges, even from unexpected sources like Donald Trump, who repeatedly claimed he brokered a ceasefire, forcing India to clarify that its military targeted terrorist hideouts in Pakistan.

Beyond Weapons: The Real Focus

The unfortunate focus in this information war often shifts to comparing Indian (French and Russian) weapons with Pakistani (Chinese) weapons. What gets lost is the crucial fact that Pakistan remains an epicenter of terrorism. Osama bin Laden was found there, and many UN-designated terrorists still reside in the country. This is a vital point that India constantly reminds the world.

Even some Russian media outlets, like Russia Today, have spread fake news about Indian Rafale jets, falsely claiming Indonesia canceled a deal due to Rafale's poor performance in the India-Pakistan conflict. This seems to be an attempt by Russia to push its own fighter jets, like the SU-57, to India.

Pakistan's Military Used Part of Aaj Tak News Clip to Claim Indian Airfield Destroyed

The outlet, though, was talking about an airfield in Pakistan 🤷‍♂️. #PIBFactCheck

📹 @PIBFactCheck pic.twitter.com/8Npag35IfC

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) May 12, 2025

Similarly, China appears to be running a massive misinformation campaign, with many fake images and videos potentially circulating that we haven't even identified yet.

The Way Forward: India's Information Warfare Strategy

This whole situation highlights a critical lesson: simply taking action against Pakistan isn't enough. It's equally important to inform the world about what really happened. Pakistan has strong support from countries like Turkey and China in spreading its narratives.

India needs to build information warfare alliances to counter these pervasive campaigns. We can't do it alone. This means working with allies to expose lies and spread the truth, even when it involves challenging countries like China.

It's disheartening that the world media often ignores these blatant acts of misinformation. We urge everyone to share this information and help expose the reality of Pakistan's deceptive tactics. It might be hard to believe that a Prime Minister and Army Chief would exchange fake images, but this is the unfortunate reality that people need to understand about Pakistan.