Pakistan’s armed forces have been criticized after revealing an old and tampered photo to back naval preparedness claims in the face of increased tensions with India. In a recent press conference in Islamabad, senior military commanders, including Vice Admiral Raja Rab Nawaz and Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmed, unveiled a photo that was intended to demonstrate the Pakistan Navy’s present operational capacity.

The picture, depicting warships, sea patrol aircraft, and a submarine, was reported as proof of active deployment. But on closer examination by impartial analysts, the photo turned out to have been taken in December 2023 and initially released by Radio Pakistan. The original photo showed a Pakistan-China bilateral naval exercise and did not depict the submarine featured in the subsequent version.

Evidence indicates that the submarine was digitally inserted prior to the use of the image in the press conference. The alteration puts the authenticity of official explanations in question at a period of increased regional tension.

These moves follow close on the heels of India’s retaliatory operation in response to a Pahalgam terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 26 individuals. Since then, Pakistan has increased efforts at public messaging, including in mainstream media, to present military preparations. Most of these claims have been based on anonymous sources and had no verifiable information.

Source: NDTV (www.ndtv.com)