In the wake of India’s military operation "Sindoor", Pakistan launched not just retaliatory attacks but also an aggressive disinformation campaign targeting Indian credibility on global platforms. From doctored images to fabricated headlines, Pakistan’s digital narrative has grown increasingly brazen. The Indian government, through fact-checking agencies like the Press Information Bureau (PIB), has actively countered this wave of misinformation. The most damning revelation came recently when Pakistan’s own Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, was caught spreading false information based on an AI-generated image. False Claims from the Top: Ishaq Dar’s AI Hoax On May 15, 2025, during a statement in the Pakistani Senate, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar triumphantly declared that the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph had lauded the Pakistan Air Force as the “undisputed king of the skies.” The so-called “proof” he cited was an image of the newspaper’s front page supposedly published on May 10, 2025. However, this headline was a complete fabrication. The PIB Fact Check team quickly debunked the claim, confirming that the image was AI-generated and no such article had ever appeared in The Daily Telegraph. The agency posted its rebuttal on X (formerly Twitter), exposing how Pakistan’s top diplomat relied on fake visuals to mislead both the Senate and the international audience. “An image circulating on social media is claimed to be from the front page of the UK newspaper ‘The Daily Telegraph’ with the headline: ‘Pakistan Air Force: The Undisputed King of the Skies’ dated 10 May 2025. This claim is false. The photo is AI-generated and such an article was never published,” PIB stated. 21 Cases of Fakery: A Systematic Propaganda Strategy This is not an isolated case. According to PIB and cyber monitoring agencies, at least 21 major misinformation incidents originating from Pakistani media outlets and social media networks have been flagged since Operation Sindoor. These include:

• Doctored videos showing fabricated Indian military failures
• Falsified casualty numbers during the conflict
• Fake international headlines attributed to respected global newspapers
• Misleading imagery of “pro-India” protests being turned into “anti-India” visuals
• False claims of missile strikes and drone attacks by India into Afghanistan

Startlingly, verified government handles and even mainstream Pakistani TV channels have been found to be active participants in this digital deception campaign. What’s more concerning is that senior Pakistani officials, including cabinet ministers and military spokespersons, are actively pushing this propaganda. The Ishaq Dar incident has now become a case study in state-sponsored misinformation — showing how AI tools are being misused by government officials to manufacture international legitimacy. India’s Response: Fact, Clarity, and Strategic Communication India’s approach to this information warfare has been methodical and transparent. Through the PIB Fact Check unit, the government has proactively identified fake news, published clarifications, and used its social media presence to ensure falsehoods do not gain traction. Rather than mirror Pakistan’s tactics, India has focused on public diplomacy, maintaining credibility with global media, and keeping its narrative rooted in verifiable data. The clear rejection of Dar’s AI image by PIB is a model of responsible communication in the age of digital deceit. When Diplomacy Meets Deepfakes, Truth Must Be Loud The Ishaq Dar episode is more than just a political embarrassment for Pakistan — it reflects a deepening reliance on AI-powered misinformation to influence public perception and cover military or diplomatic failures. It’s alarming when elected leaders participate in digital fraud, but even more so when such deception becomes part of official policy. As deepfake technology becomes increasingly sophisticated, governments worldwide must raise their guard. India’s firm and fact-based rebuttals set a vital precedent in the battle for narrative control. In an age where pixels can deceive and AI can manipulate, truth, now more than ever, must speak louder — and with evidence.   (With agency inputs)