‘What A Joke’: Pakistan Army Chief Mocked Over Fake Operation Bunyan Image

<p>In a bizarre twist that has left social media in stitches, Pakistan&rsquo;s recent attempt to showcase a military &ldquo;victory&rdquo; over India has backfired&mdash;quite spectacularly. A high-profile dinner hosted by Pakistan&rsquo;s newly promoted Field Marshal and Army Chief Asim Munir, intended to project national pride and military might, has instead triggered waves of online mockery and global ridicule.</p>
<h3>Pakistan army trolled over fake image</h3>
<p>A framed painting presented by General Munir to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, intended to celebrate the so-called success of “Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos,” is now being called out as a repurposed image from a Chinese military exercise dating back four years.</p>
<p>Images from the event showed the gift prominently displayed, supposedly portraying Pakistan&rsquo;s military operation against India. But eagle-eyed users on social media platform X were quick to notice its uncanny resemblance to a widely available image from Chinese People’s Liberation Army drills.</p>
<p>Several users claimed the image was directly lifted from publicly available visuals of the Chinese PLA, casting serious doubt on Pakistan&rsquo;s narrative around the alleged operation.</p>
<h3>What led to the backlash</h3>
<p>Adding to the backlash is the growing criticism over the timing and validity of Munir&rsquo;s promotion. Traditionally, the rank of Field Marshal is reserved for military leaders who have led their nation to a decisive wartime victory. However, in this case, no such conflict has taken place&mdash;and reports indicate that it was India&rsquo;s defence systems that successfully intercepted Pakistan&rsquo;s drones and missiles during the alleged &ldquo;<a title=”Operation Sindoor” href=”https://news.abplive.com/topic/operation-sindoor” data-type=”interlinkingkeywords”>Operation Sindoor</a>,&rdquo; inflicting damage on Pakistani airbases instead.</p>
<p>The event&mdash;meant to honour the &ldquo;steadfast commitment&rdquo; of the armed forces and the &ldquo;indomitable spirit&rdquo; of the Pakistani people&mdash;was attended by top political and military leaders, including President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, and Senate Chairman Yusuf Raza Gilani.</p>
<p>Yet despite the intended message, the discovery of the Chinese-origin image has now severely undermined the credibility of Pakistan&rsquo;s claims, turning what was supposed to be a celebration into a viral fiasco. As of now, neither the Pakistan Army nor the government has issued a statement addressing the photo controversy or the mounting questions surrounding Field Marshal Munir&rsquo;s elevation.</p>