Pakistan's Deputy PM Faces Backlash Over Fake Newspaper Claim

Controversy Erupts Over Misleading Claims

Islamabad: Ishaq Dar, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, has faced significant backlash after referencing a fabricated newspaper image that falsely praised Pakistan. This image, which circulated on social media, was incorrectly attributed to the UK-based publication The Daily Telegraph. During a parliamentary session on Thursday, Dar claimed that the image described the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) as the 'undisputed king of the skies.'

While expressing admiration for the PAF's achievements, Dar stated, “The Telegraph newspaper writes, ‘Pakistan Air Force is the undisputed king of the skies.’ Alhamdulillah,” which was met with enthusiastic applause from fellow parliamentarians.

However, many quickly pointed out that the image cited by Dar was not genuine and had no affiliation with The Daily Telegraph.

The misleading image, generated by AI, was widely shared on various social media platforms, with numerous Pakistani journalists initially praising it as evidence of international recognition for the PAF's defense capabilities.

Subsequently, it was confirmed that the image was indeed fake.

It's important to note that following the escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan, social media has been inundated with numerous images and claims, many of which have been debunked.

Despite being criticized for his error in Parliament, Dar has yet to issue any clarification.

During the ongoing conflict with India, Islamabad has frequently relied on social media as 'evidence' to support various claims, including assertions of downing multiple Indian fighter jets.

Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also faced scrutiny for relying on unverified social media posts to assert that at least five Indian jets had been shot down.

When pressed by a CNN anchor for evidence of these claims, Asif responded, “The proof is all over social media.”

In a speech at the PAF airbase in Kamra on Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif claimed that Pakistan had downed six Indian fighter jets, including three Rafales, one SU-30MKI, one Mirage 2000, and one MIF-29.

However, these claims also lack substantiation, and no concrete evidence has been presented to the public.