Unmasking Fake News: Pakistan's Fabricated Claims on the Air Force Exposed

Government Unveils Fake News from Pakistan

New Delhi: The Indian government has revealed another instance of misinformation propagated by Pakistan on social media, this time involving a fake front page of a well-known British newspaper.

A fact-check report from the Press Information Bureau (PIB) indicates that an image circulating on various social media platforms claims to depict the front page of 'The Daily Telegraph' from the UK, dated May 10.

The headline in question states: "Pakistan Air Force: The Undisputed King of the Skies." However, the PIB has confirmed that this image is entirely fabricated and generated by AI.

The PIB Fact Check team stated in a post, "An image circulating on social media claims to show the front page of UK-based newspaper The Daily Telegraph, featuring a headline that reads: 'Pakistan Air Force: The undisputed king of the skies' dated 10th May 2025, is fake."

Adding to the concern, this misleading image was not only shared online but also referenced by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar during a statement to the Senate on Thursday.

In a subsequent post, the PIB remarked, "This #fake claim was further amplified by Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar during his statement to the Senate on 15 May 2025. By endorsing a completely fabricated image and headline, #Pakistan intentionally lent official weight to a piece of digital deception."

Previously, the PIB fact-check team debunked a viral claim suggesting that the last rites of an Indian Air Force (IAF) Rafale pilot were held following alleged casualties during 'Operation Sindoor.'

The PIB identified several Pakistan-based accounts that circulated old images, falsely claiming they depicted the funeral of a Rafale pilot who supposedly died on May 7. The PIB clarified that the image is from 2008 and is unrelated to recent events.

This incident underscores the growing prevalence of AI-generated misinformation in geopolitical discussions and the critical role of official channels in either verifying or amplifying such content.