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Pakistan's AI Deepfake Campaign Targets India, Sparks Regional Tensions

Dozens of AI-generated deepfake videos and images, linked to accounts associated with Pakistan's security establishment, are flooding social media to inflame communal tensions and spread false narratives against India. The manipulated content, which exhibits telltale glitches like misaligned lip-sync and repetitive eye movements, has been debunked by fact-checkers but continues to circulate widely. Examples include fake clips featuring Indian military chiefs and journalist Palki Sharma Upadhyay, often promoted by coordinated networks that rapidly delete posts to evade detection. This organized disinformation campaign, which has also warped coverage of international conflicts like the Israel-Iran war, poses a significant threat to regional stability and information integrity.

Key Points: AI Deepfakes from Pakistan Fuel Disinformation, Tensions

  • AI videos mimic news
  • Tied to security establishment
  • Targets India & regional issues
  • High-level endorsement suspected
2 min read

AI-generated deepfakes surge on Pakistan's social media to spark communal tensions

Report reveals Pakistan-linked accounts use AI-generated videos to spread false narratives, inflame communal tensions, and target India, threatening regional stability.

"The trend is troubling for regional stability and for Pakistan's own information ecosystem. - International Business Times"

New Delhi, Dec 27

Dozens of AI‑generated videos and images pushed by accounts linked to Pakistan's security establishment have flooded the country's social media in recent months, aimed at inflaming communal tensions and spreading false narratives against India, according to a media report.

The International Business Times report said that journalists and analysts found many viral posts came from X accounts tied to Pakistan's military and intelligence establishment.

Fact‑checkers have debunked manipulated clips that mimic news formats but exhibit uncanny audiovisual glitches, repetitive eye movements, clipped speech, and misaligned lip‑sync.

"The trend is troubling for regional stability and for Pakistan's own information ecosystem-and countermeasures will require international vigilance to stop Pakistan from spreading mass disinformation on social media," the report said.

Examples include an AI-generated clip showing IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, criticising India's Tejas fighter and a clip attributed to former Indian Army chief V.P. Malik spouting fake communal rhetoric.

An alleged circulator of such videos, 'PakVocals' account was followed by Pakistan's Information and Broadcasting Minister, Ataullah Tarar, suggesting high-level interest or endorsement from the country's top leadership, the report said.

Further, the coordination style, including rapid deletions after posts and networks amplifying one another, resembles a managed influence operation more than that of random amateurs. In media statements and press briefings, Pakistani officials have acknowledged an "organised disinformation" problem even as they publicly target others for it, it added.

Even international conflicts have been warped in this Pakistan-led disinformation campaign. Examples include the Israel-Iran war in 2025, when several Pakistani news outlets aired an AI tampered video of an Israeli studio supposedly invaded, not realising the footage was entirely fake.

Similarly, the AI-manipulated videos of Indian journalist Palki Sharma Upadhyay are circulating in Pakistani social media networks. These fake clips showed her promoting Indian government-backed financial investment platforms or questioning diplomatic protocols for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Jordan, the report said.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Very worrying trend. My parents saw one of these fake videos on WhatsApp and were convinced it was real. We must educate our elders not to believe everything they see online. Fact-checking is everyone's responsibility now.
R
Rohit P
Not surprised at all. This has been their strategy for decades, only the tools have changed from fake currency to fake videos. Our agencies need to be ten steps ahead in countering this digital terrorism.
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Sarah B
As someone working in tech, the technical details are alarming. "Uncanny audiovisual glitches" won't be there for long. AI is improving fast. Platforms like X and Meta need to take far more responsibility for content on their sites.
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Vikram M
Respectfully, while this report is concerning, we must also look inward. We have our own issues with misinformation during elections. Let's not be hypocrites. The solution is digital literacy for all citizens, not just blaming others.
K
Kavya N
Targeting respected figures like Palki Sharma ji and our armed forces chiefs is a new low. This isn't just about India-Pakistan, it's about the global fight for truth. Hope international bodies take note and act.
M
Michael C
The part about the Information Minister following the

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