Asim Munir Presents Chinese Drill Photo as ‘Strike on India’; Mocked Online

Islamabad/New Delhi, May 26 — In a bizarre turn of events that has sparked widespread ridicule online, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, presented a Chinese military drill photo to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, falsely claiming it depicted a Pakistani strike against India.

The misleading presentation reportedly took place during a high-profile dinner hosted by Munir. The event was intended to celebrate the Pakistani armed forces’ “steadfast commitment” and the nation’s “indomitable spirit” during what officials called Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos. Instead, it has become a public relations debacle.

The image, touted as a souvenir symbolizing a military success over India, was quickly identified by social media users as a 2019 photograph of Chinese military drills. The image features the PHL-03, a multiple rocket launcher of Chinese origin, and is credited to Chinese photographer Huang Hai. It has been widely circulated online over the past five years and is easily traceable through reverse image searches.

Critics were swift to highlight the gaffe, accusing Pakistan of manufacturing false victories. “Shehbaz Sharif gifted Chinese drill pic as ‘Op Bunyan’ memento. I don’t think they know anything about Google Image Search,” one user mocked on X (formerly Twitter). Another pointed out, “Pak PM just gifted Asim Munir a photo from a 2019 Chinese military drill—faking war glory against India. Meanwhile, India provided corroborated evidence of precise and powerful strikes during #OperationSindoor.”

This episode underscores Pakistan’s continued attempts at propaganda posturing, even as it struggles to substantiate claims of military success against India. In contrast, India has previously released detailed photographic and video evidence of strikes on Pakistani targets, showing substantial damage to military installations.

The use of a dated, foreign image not only exposed the lack of credible visuals from Pakistan’s side but also fueled skepticism over the narrative pushed during the dinner event. Observers say the incident reflects deeper issues within Pakistan’s information operations and a pattern of denial, deception, and delusion that critics argue has become state policy.

With the image now thoroughly debunked, the faux pas has become a case study in the perils of unchecked propaganda in the age of open-source verification.

IT.