Islamabad: In a major embarrassment for Pakistan, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar quoted a fake news report in the Senate, praising the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) based on a doctored image of a British newspaper.
While addressing the Upper House on May 15 during a discussion on the recent India-Pakistan clashes, Dar said, “Telegraph writes, Pakistan Air Force is the undisputed king of the skies.”
He was referring to an image that appeared to be a front page of The Daily Telegraph, dated May 10, carrying that exact headline and a photo of a JF-17 Thunder jet.
But There Was a Problem
The original front page of the UK newspaper that day had a completely different headline:
“Navy chief quits ‘over affair with junior'” — and did not mention Pakistan or its Air Force at all.
The image quoted by Dar was a photoshopped version of the actual newspaper. It was widely circulated by pro-Pakistan social media handles, including one associated with the military’s public relations wing, ISPR.
A handle using the name @DG1SPR, posing as the official voice of ISPR Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, posted the fake image. The account has since been flagged as AI-generated and suspended for spreading disinformation.
Pakistan’s Own Media Calls It Out
In a surprising twist, it wasn’t India but Pakistani media that exposed the truth.
Leading Pakistani daily Dawn ran a fact-check via its I-Verify team, confirming that the newspaper front page was fake. Even India’s official Press Information Bureau (PIB) shared the truth online, noting that Pakistan gave “official weight to a piece of digital deception.”
“This fake claim was further amplified by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar during his statement to the Senate,” PIB posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Propaganda Overdrive After Operation Sindoor
Since India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, striking terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK), Islamabad’s disinformation machine has been working overtime.
Lt Gen Chaudhry, dubbed Pakistan’s own “Comical Ali”, led a digital campaign using doctored clips and fake reports. Some of these even fooled parts of the Western media.
But the biggest blunder came from within — Ishaq Dar himself fell for it.
Lessons From A Pitfall
The incident has sparked ridicule and concern across diplomatic and media circles. It highlights how fake news can backfire, even at the highest levels of government.
As the old saying from the subcontinent goes:
“Dig a pit for others, and you may fall into it yourself.”
And in this case, Pakistan’s Deputy PM did — with eyes wide open.
