Dodos in Diplomacy: How Pakistan’s Leadership Keeps Humiliating Itself on the Global Stage

Paromita Das
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 17th May: In the age of instant information and ruthless fact-checking, most world leaders tread carefully. But Pakistan’s political leadership seems to be on a tireless mission to outdo itself—this time, not with policy brilliance or diplomacy, but with sheer ignorance and comic misinformation.

The latest example is painfully embarrassing. Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, stood before the country’s Senate and proudly quoted what he claimed was the front page of the UK’s The Daily Telegraph, calling the Pakistan Air Force the “Undisputed King of the Skies.”

Priceless! Pak Deputy PM Ishaq Dar quotes a fake newspaper article in Pak Parliament—fact-checked by Pakistan’s own Dawn newspaper. pic.twitter.com/KtBMAftIce

— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) May 16, 2025

 

Only one problem: the image he was referring to was fake—AI-generated, riddled with laughable spelling mistakes like “Aur Force” and “Fyaw,” and declared false by Pakistan’s own leading newspaper, Dawn.

This isn’t a one-off mistake. It’s the latest in a long chain of Pakistan’s top leadership behaving like political dodos—headless, clueless, and increasingly ridiculous in the international spotlight. At a time when global credibility and perception can have significant implications on diplomacy, investment, and military deterrence, Pakistan’s politicians are presenting themselves as textbook cases of what not to do.

Shehbaz Sharif’s Copycat Leadership: A Study in Political Mimicry

Just a day after Bharat’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a morale-boosting visit to the Adampur airbase in Punjab following Operation Sindoor—a bold strike against terror hideouts in Pakistan—Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif made an impromptu visit to troops at Pasrur Cantonment in Sialkot. The visit was marketed as a show of strength under the grand title of “Operation Bunyan al-Marsoos.”

But here’s the glaring flaw: Pasrur Cantonment had no known role in any recent military operation—certainly not in anything resembling Bharat’s Operation Sindoor. The attempt to “mirror” PM Modi’s leadership moment was clumsy at best and delusional at worst. Modi visited a base that Pakistan had falsely claimed was destroyed; his presence there, standing in front of a fully operational S-400 system, was a masterstroke in discrediting Pakistan’s narrative. If Shehbaz Sharif truly wanted to counter that with credibility, he should have visited a site claimed to be victorious or damaged in conflict—if one existed.

Instead, his visit seemed like a poorly directed theatre piece—self-important, lacking substance, and out of sync with the facts on the ground. It was widely mocked both in Bharat and internationally, with even some Pakistani voices questioning why the Prime Minister looked more like an actor in a farce than the commander of a nation.

The Misinformation War: Lies, AI, and Desperation

Following Bharat’s precise and successful Operation Sindoor, Pakistan launched its counter-offensive—not with missiles, but with memes, misinformation, and media manipulation. State-affiliated social media accounts began recycling old images, dubbing them as “new evidence,” while also creating AI-generated articles and infographics to suggest international endorsement of Pakistan’s military prowess.

The so-called Daily Telegraph front page is a case in point. Its editorial layout was botched, riddled with spelling mistakes and nonsensical phrasing. It bore no resemblance to the actual editorial standards of the British daily. Yet, this fabricated image was proudly cited in the nation’s upper house by the Foreign Minister—as if global validation had finally arrived.

This isn’t a social media influencer or a rogue propagandist—this is Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, a man tasked with shaping international diplomacy and foreign policy. To be duped by an obviously AI-generated fake and then use it as evidence of Pakistan’s military superiority, is nothing short of alarming.

As Dawn’s investigative wing pointed out, the supposed front page had words like “advancemend,” “preformance,” and “Aur Force”—mistakes no legitimate publication would let slip. Any mildly educated person could spot the forgery. But not Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister, who instead held it aloft as a badge of honour.

When Governance Becomes a Joke

Pakistan’s ruling elite appears trapped in a feedback loop of chest-thumping bravado and digital delusion. Rather than confronting the uncomfortable truths—like economic instability, global isolation, and internal unrest—they’re resorting to fictional victories and AI-generated applause.

What’s worse is that such blunders don’t just make them a laughingstock internationally—they damage national morale and credibility. Every false claim, every awkward imitation of Bharat’s confident leadership, only amplifies the growing gap between the two nuclear neighbours—not just in terms of capability, but in terms of perception and dignity.

Bharat’s leadership, especially under PM Modi, has mastered the art of political symbolism backed by strategic substance. His visit to Adampur wasn’t just optics—it was a direct rebuttal to Pakistan’s claim that the base had been destroyed. He proved, with facts and presence, that their narrative was a lie. That’s statesmanship.

Shehbaz Sharif’s response was a parody in comparison, much like a local school play trying to emulate a Broadway production.

A Nation in Desperate Need of Seriousness

The repeated goof-ups by Pakistani leaders reflect more than just poor intelligence or social media gullibility—they point to a deeper crisis of credibility. From misquoting fake articles to staging meaningless visits and branding fictional military operations with grand Arabic names, Pakistan’s leadership is fast eroding whatever diplomatic and strategic heft the country once carried.

If Pakistan’s leaders don’t take themselves seriously, why should the world?

Until they learn the basics of discernment, strategic communication, and truth-telling, they will continue to be mocked—not just by rivals like Bharat, but by their own citizens and the international community. And the hashtag the world will remember won’t be #KingOfTheSkies—it’ll be #FacepalmDiplomacy.