The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Monday dismissed as “fake” a viral video purportedly showing Defence Minister Khawaja Asif comparing Pakistan’s development with India’s, saying the minister had made no such remarks.
The ministry shared the circulating clip on its official X account and said the voice attributed to Asif had been generated using artificial intelligence.
The nearly one-minute video, which appeared to use footage from one of Asif’s press conferences aired by a major news channel, had been widely circulated on social media.
In the manipulated clip, Asif appeared to urge Pakistanis to assess the country’s situation and compare its progress with India, noting that both countries gained independence at around the same time.
The video falsely attributed remarks to Asif claiming that Balochistan had “slipped from our hands”, people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were facing difficulties and residents of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) had taken to the streets for their rights.
It also appeared to show the defence minister praising India’s progress in technology, infrastructure and the economy while questioning Pakistan’s governance, democracy and policies.
The viral clip was subsequently picked up by Indian media, with News18 publishing a report based on the purported remarks.
Rejecting the video’s authenticity, the information ministry said: “This news is FAKE and the voice in the video is AI-generated.”
“Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has not given any such statement. Please verify news from official sources before sharing,” the ministry added.
The ministry’s official fact-checking account on X also issued the same clarification, reiterating that the remarks attributed to Asif were fabricated.
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