Pakistan Uses Old, Morphed Image To Claim Its Navy's Operational Readiness

Operation Sindoor: In a damning contrast to India’s clear and confident military messaging, Pakistan’s armed forces have once again exposed their credibility crisis. Shortly after the Indian Navy's bold declaration of operational dominance under Operation Sindoor, the Pakistani military attempted to project strength but failed spectacularly.

During a joint press briefing, Vice Admiral A.N. Pramod affirmed that the Indian Navy had effectively locked down Karachi, with forward-deployed forces maintaining an aggressive and decisive posture in the Arabian Sea. 

Pakistan Resorts to Fabrication

Desperate to match India’s strategic clarity, the Pakistani military hastily presented what it claimed was proof of its naval readiness. Instead, it exposed a deeper problem, a reliance on doctored visuals and outdated propaganda. The centerpiece of Pakistan’s press conference an image supposedly depicting its naval fleet in a high-alert deployment was swiftly debunked as a recycled and digitally altered photo from 2023.

During the press conference, senior military figures, including Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmed, Director General of Public Relations for the Pakistan Air Force, and Vice Admiral Raja Rab Nawaz, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, sought to assure the Pakistani public that the country's air, land, and sea forces were fully prepared for deployment.

Vice Admiral Nawaz presented a dramatic image showing two warships, a submarine, and three aircraft, claiming it depicted active naval deployment. The image, described as a response to growing hostility with India, was meant to demonstrate strategic maritime capabilities.

Image Traced Back to 2023 Joint Exercise with China

However, image analysis and archival research have traced the photograph back to a Radio Pakistan publication from December 2023. 

The original image, taken during a joint naval exercise between Pakistan and China in the Indian Ocean, features Chinese and Pakistani warships with three Lockheed Martin P-3C Orion aircraft flying overhead. 

Notably, the submarine seen in the version presented at the press conference was absent from the original image.

The original version appeared under the headline "Naval Chief lauds achievements of operations objectives by Pakistan Navy" in an article covering the Fleet Annual Efficiency Competition Parade in Karachi, with comments by Admiral Naveed Ashraf.

Wave of Misinformation Follows Pahalgam Terror Attack

This revelation comes amid a broader surge of misinformation and disinformation from Pakistani sources following India’s retaliatory actions after the Pahalgam terrorist attack, which claimed 26 lives. Since then, official statements and media reports from Pakistan have aimed to portray a posture of strength and preparedness, often with questionable supporting evidence.