'Faking war glory': Asim Munir gifts Shehbaz Chinese drill photo, passes it off as Pakistan's strike against India

Pakistan's military leadership tried to pass off a 2019 image from a Chinese military drill as proof of a strike against India. At a ceremony marking Pakistan's claimed military success, Army chief Asim Munir gifted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif the photo, falsely presenting it as evidence of success from a recent conflict.

The photograph, presented by Field Marshal Asim Munir to Prime Minister Sharif during a high-profile dinner, quickly drew backlash online after users identified it as an old and widely circulated image of the Chinese PHL-03 rocket launcher.

The image, which was originally taken during a Chinese military drill in 2019 by photographer Huang Hai, has resurfaced multiple times over the past five years. Despite its origin being publicly known, it was gifted by Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as a token supposedly commemorating "Marka-e-Haq – Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos", an operation claimed by Pakistan as a counter-strike against India.

The photo presentation took place at a formal dinner hosted by Munir, reportedly to recognise the "steadfast commitment" of the armed forces and the "indomitable spirit" of Pakistan's people. However, the attempt to rebrand the old Chinese photo as a symbol of Pakistani military might sparked widespread ridicule.

Social media users quickly exposed the photo's actual source. One user wrote, "Shehbaz Sharif Gifted Chinese Drill Pic As 'Op Bunyan' Memento To Pak Army Chief. I don't think they know anything about Google Image Search."

Another user commented, “Pak PM just gifted Asim Munir a photo from a 2019 Chinese military drill — faking war glory against India. Instead, India provided corroborated evidences of strikes with precision and power during #OperationSindoor. Denial, deception, and delusion remain state policy of Pakistan.”

The incident adds to a growing list of blunders where Pakistan's military narrative has been challenged and dismantled by online fact-checkers.