The Pakistani military is facing criticism for showing an old and digitally edited image to prove that its naval forces are fully ready for battle. The image was shown during a recent press conference in Islamabad, where top military officers claimed that Pakistan’s air, land, and sea forces are at their strongest.

At the event, Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmed and Vice Admiral Raja Rab Nawaz addressed the media. Vice Admiral Nawaz showed a picture which he claimed showed active deployment of Pakistan’s naval fleet. The image had two warships, a submarine, and three aircraft. It was shown as proof of Pakistan’s military response to growing tensions with India.

But experts later found out that this image is not new. It was used before in a Radio Pakistan article from December 2023. The photo was taken during a joint naval exercise between Pakistan and China in the Indian Ocean. It originally showed Chinese and Pakistani warships with three Lockheed Martin P-3C Orion aircraft flying above.

Importantly, the original picture did not have any submarine. This means the submarine shown in the new version of the image was added using digital editing tools. The submarine was likely a Pakistan Navy diesel-electric vessel.

The original photo was published under the headline "Naval Chief lauds achievements of operational objectives by Pakistan Navy." That report covered the Fleet Annual Efficiency Competition Parade held in Karachi and included remarks by Admiral Naveed Ashraf.

This is not the only case of misinformation. Since the Pahalgam terrorist attack in India, where 26 people were killed, Pakistan has been spreading many false claims online and through television news. Some Pakistani media outlets are also airing reports with no proof, often using unnamed “official sources”.

Experts say this kind of digital misinformation campaign can mislead the public and increase tensions. India has repeatedly asked for facts to be verified and has warned against spreading false information, especially during times of high tension between the two countries.

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