In a bizarre twist that has left social media in stitches, Pakistan’s recent attempt to showcase a military “victory” over India has backfired—quite spectacularly. A high-profile dinner hosted by Pakistan’s newly promoted Field Marshal and Army Chief Asim Munir, intended to project national pride and military might, has instead triggered waves of online mockery and global ridicule.
Pakistan army trolled over fake image
A framed painting presented by General Munir to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, intended to celebrate the so-called success of “Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos,” is now being called out as a repurposed image from a Chinese military exercise dating back four years.
Images from the event showed the gift prominently displayed, supposedly portraying Pakistan’s military operation against India. But eagle-eyed users on social media platform X were quick to notice its uncanny resemblance to a widely available image from Chinese People’s Liberation Army drills.
Several users claimed the image was directly lifted from publicly available visuals of the Chinese PLA, casting serious doubt on Pakistan’s narrative around the alleged operation.
“Apparently the Pakistan Army Chief has gifted PM Shehbaz Sharif a dated Chinese military photo as a souvenir to illustrate Pak Army attack against India. So not just a fake victory narrative but also a fake photo with it. What a joke @OfficialDGISPR,” one social media user on X said.
“They can’t even produce original visuals of their own military operation,” a second user quipped.
What led to the backlash
Adding to the backlash is the growing criticism over the timing and validity of Munir’s promotion. Traditionally, the rank of Field Marshal is reserved for military leaders who have led their nation to a decisive wartime victory. However, in this case, no such conflict has taken place—and reports indicate that it was India’s defence systems that successfully intercepted Pakistan’s drones and missiles during the alleged “Operation Sindoor,” inflicting damage on Pakistani airbases instead.
The event—meant to honour the “steadfast commitment” of the armed forces and the “indomitable spirit” of the Pakistani people—was attended by top political and military leaders, including President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Senate Chairman Yusuf Raza Gilani.
Yet despite the intended message, the discovery of the Chinese-origin image has now severely undermined the credibility of Pakistan’s claims, turning what was supposed to be a celebration into a viral fiasco. As of now, neither the Pakistan Army nor the government has issued a statement addressing the photo controversy or the mounting questions surrounding Field Marshal Munir’s elevation.
