Ever since the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s powerful response under Operation Sindoor, Pakistan has gone into full-blown damage control mode—not on the battlefield, but on social media. With its military bruised and global perception dented, Islamabad has ramped up a barrage of propaganda to paint a picture of success. But now, it’s resorting to outright fiction.
In its latest stunt, Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir posed alongside Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, proudly holding a framed image supposedly capturing a Pakistani military strike—part of what they’ve dubbed “Operation Bunyan”. The catch? The photo is not Pakistani at all. It’s a doctored image from a 2019 Chinese military drill, showing PHL-03 multiple rocket launchers in action.
The photo was presented during a lavish dinner hosted by Munir on May 24, just a day after he was controversially elevated to the title of Field Marshal. The event saw the who’s who of Pakistan’s power corridors—President Asif Ali Zardari, PM Shehbaz, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and military top brass—clapping along to what was essentially a staged piece of military fan fiction.
But the internet wasn’t buying it.
Netizens were quick to unmask the lie. One user mocked, “The army that can’t even take original photos of its own ops wants us to believe in its ‘victory’?”
PM gifted Asim Munir a photoshopped image from a 2019 Chinese military drill!!! Waah re Lumber one fauj! pic.twitter.com/uTTTLe7j37
— Mountain Rats (@mountain_rats) May 25, 2025
Another wrote, “I don’t think they know anything about Google Image Search.”
Shehbaz Sharif Gifted Chinese Drill Pic As 'Op Bunyan' Memento To Pak Army Chief.
— Krishna (@Atheist_Krishna) May 26, 2025
I don't think they know anything about Google Image Search.😂 pic.twitter.com/DrmzFpXFKj
This isn’t a one-off. State-backed Pakistani media outlets have previously used video game clips and old war documentaries, falsely labeling them as real-time visuals from Pakistani military actions against India.
During the height of Operation Sindoor, pro-Pakistani handles even claimed Delhi Airport had been hit by a missile. That “evidence”? A clip from a gas station explosion in Aden, Yemen, back in August 2024—swiftly debunked by India’s PIB Fact Check. Pakistan Air Force spokesperson Aurangzeb Ahmed lean on English, ‘centre of gravity’ phrase precisely, to hoodwink the Pakistani public and masking the military’s utter failure to prevent airstrikes by India.
Another viral claim suggested Bathinda Airfield had been “wiped out”—yet the airfield remained fully operational, with zero damage reported.
From fake images to false flags, Pakistan’s propaganda war seems more about fooling itself than the world. And with every Photoshop fail and video game clip exposed, the credibility of Islamabad’s narrative nosedives even further.
