In a striking embarrassment for Pakistan’s leadership, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was fact-checked by his own country’s media after citing a fabricated news report to praise the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) during a parliamentary session. The incident, which unfolded amid heightened tensions with India, has spotlighted Pakistan’s struggle with misinformation and its impact on official narratives.
During a recent address to lawmakers, Dar claimed that a prominent British newspaper had hailed the PAF as the “undisputed king of the skies,” using the quote to bolster national pride and assert military superiority. The statement was part of a broader narrative celebrating the PAF’s alleged successes in the ongoing conflict with India, particularly following Operation Sindoor, India’s precision strikes on terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Dar’s remarks were met with applause in Parliament, but the claim quickly unraveled when local media investigated the source.
Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper revealed that the article Dar referenced was a doctored image circulating on social media, falsely attributed to The Daily Telegraph. The fabricated headline, which never appeared in the British publication, was debunked as a product of online misinformation campaigns. Dawn’s fact-checking exposed the report as a hoax, noting that no such article existed in the newspaper’s archives or recent publications. The revelation has drawn sharp criticism, with analysts pointing to the dangers of senior officials amplifying unverified claims in a sensitive geopolitical context.
The episode comes at a time when Pakistan is grappling with a surge in misinformation related to its military engagements with India. Following the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 people, and India’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor on May 7, both nations have accused each other of spreading propaganda. Pakistan’s military and political leaders have faced scrutiny for unverified claims, including assertions of shooting down five Indian fighter jets, which lack credible evidence. Social media platforms have amplified these narratives, with fake videos and edited images fueling public sentiment.
Dar’s misstep has sparked a broader debate about accountability within Pakistan’s leadership. Critics argue that citing unverified sources in Parliament undermines credibility, especially when addressing national security matters. The incident has also drawn attention to the role of fact-checkers like Mohammed Zubair, who have been actively debunking misinformation related to the India-Pakistan conflict. Zubair and others have flagged numerous fake accounts and doctored content, including propaganda posing as Indian military communications.
The Pakistani government has yet to issue a formal response to the fact-checking report, but the incident has already dented Dar’s reputation. Opposition lawmakers and commentators have called for greater diligence, urging officials to verify information before presenting it to the public. Meanwhile, the episode has provided fodder for Indian media and fact-checkers, who have highlighted Pakistan’s reliance on false narratives to counter India’s diplomatic and military actions.
As tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors remain high, the incident underscores the challenges of navigating truth in a polarized information landscape. With both sides engaging in intense diplomatic outreach—India through multi-party delegations abroad and Pakistan through its own counter-narratives—the need for accurate information has never been more critical. For now, Dar’s blunder serves as a cautionary tale about the perils of unchecked misinformation in shaping public and international perceptions.
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