Pakistan Army Chief Gifts PM Sharif a Chinese Drill Photo, Claims It Shows Strike on India
In a bizarre episode that has sparked global ridicule, Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir gifted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif a framed photograph he claimed depicted the Pakistani military’s “successful strike” against India. The image, however, turned out to be from a 2019 Chinese military drill, triggering widespread embarrassment and raising questions about Pakistan’s narrative-building apparatus.
Mislabelled Photo of Chinese Drill as ‘Pakistani Strike’
The photograph, presented during a high-profile celebratory dinner, was reportedly meant to showcase the alleged success of “Operation Bunyan-ul-Marsoos”—Pakistan’s claimed military response to India. However, fact-checkers and defense analysts quickly identified the image as originating from a 2019 Chinese military exercise, featuring the PHL-03 multiple rocket launcher.
Originally captured by Chinese photographer Huang Hai, the image had been publicly available for years. Its appropriation by Pakistan’s top military brass for a national propaganda moment has exposed not just poor judgment, but a severe lapse in credibility.
Social Media Humiliation and Public Backlash
Soon after the gift ceremony, Pakistani social media users and independent observers began pointing out the falsehood. Hashtags mocking the incident trended across platforms, with many Pakistanis questioning whether their military leadership was intentionally misleading the public or simply ill-informed.
Memes, sarcastic commentary, and pointed critiques flooded X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook. Analysts labeled the event a “spectacular self-goal,” with one user commenting, “Next time maybe they’ll frame a still from a Marvel movie.”
Damage to Credibility and Narrative Control
This debacle has not only embarrassed the Pakistani establishment but also damaged its already fragile credibility in the eyes of both domestic audiences and international observers. The attempt to glorify a military operation using foreign imagery raises serious questions about the authenticity of Islamabad’s defense claims.
Critics argue that this is part of a broader trend in Pakistan’s military narrative—where perception is prioritized over facts, often at the cost of national dignity. With this episode now etched into the digital record, Pakistan’s Army faces mounting pressure to answer for both the factual inaccuracy and the intent behind such a deceptive act.
