Following India’s successful Operation Sindoor—which dismantled major terror camps run by Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed—Pakistan attempted to retaliate through Operation Un Marsoos, which was swiftly countered by Indian forces. In the aftermath of this failed attempt, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, became the center of ridicule after making an embarrassing and unverified claim.
During a recent Senate address, Dar cited a supposed front-page story from the UK’s The Daily Telegraph, which allegedly declared the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) as the “Undisputed King of the Skies.” He presented this as evidence of global admiration for the PAF’s performance—only for the claim to unravel within hours. The supposed image of the newspaper was quickly identified as fake, and not by international outlets—but by Dawn, one of Pakistan’s own most respected newspapers.
Dawn’s fact-checking wing, iVerify Pakistan, thoroughly examined the viral image. The investigation revealed that no such article or front page was ever published by The Daily Telegraph. The image in circulation was determined to be AI-generated, lacking any factual basis. This revelation turned Dar’s speech into a moment of national embarrassment and sparked widespread mockery on social media.
Indian political figures and government agencies were quick to respond. BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya dismissed the statement as part of a wider “web of lies and desperation,” posting the related video on X (formerly Twitter). India’s Press Information Bureau also released its own fact-check, confirming the headline was a complete fabrication.
This isn’t Pakistan’s first misstep in information warfare. Since the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 and India’s subsequent offensive, Islamabad has circulated doctored videos, recycled visuals, and misleading captions in an effort to construct a favorable narrative. However, each attempt has been discredited—this latest one, being debunked by Pakistan’s own media, stands out as the most humiliating episode in the propaganda campaign so far.
