'PAF is king of skies': Pakistan makes a mockery of itself as its foreign minister shares fake viral AI front page of British newspaper

Pakistan again made a mockery of itself on the global stage after its foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, shared an AI-generated fake image of a British newspaper front page praising the Pakistan Air Force. The image, made to look like the front page of The Daily Telegraph, falsely claimed, “PAF is the undisputed king of the skies.”

Fake AI headline circulated as official claim

A fake AI image, widely circulated on Pakistan's social media handles, was quoted by Dar in Pakistan's Senate. "British newspaper Daily Telegraph front page has said that Pakistan Air Force is the undisputed king of the skies," he said amid loud cheers by other Senate members.

However, the speech was quickly flagged by journalists and fact-checkers, who confirmed that The Daily Telegraph had not published any such story. The front page in question does not appear in the newspaper’s archives or website.

AI used for fabricated image

Several social media handles highlighesd that the image is created using generative artificial intelligence tools that can replicate the design and style of popular newspapers. Seveal inconsistencies in the layout and fonts were also been observed in the image, further raising doubts about its inauthenticity.

No retraction from Pakistan's foreign office

Despite being called out for spreading false information, Dar has not issued any any clarification on his statement. Pakistan’s foreign ministry has also remained silent on the matter.

Pakistan Defence Minister also shared fake claims on social media

This is not the first time a senior Pakistani official has relied on unverified content from social media to make fakeclaims. After the recent Indian airstrike on Pakistan terror locations, Pakistan’s Defence Minister claimed that Indian fighter jets had been shot down by the Pakistan Air Force. When pressed by international media for evidences, he responded, “The proof is all over social media.” The remark drew wide criticism, with defence analysts and global observers calling it an irresponsible and unserious response from a minister in charge of military affairs.