FACT CHECK: Did Pak defence minister Khawaja Asif praise India in viral video? Islamabad clarifies

Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif has been facing backlash after a video clip, in which he is purportedly shown criticising Pakistan for its failures in internal security, went viral.

It also shows him comparing Pakistan with India on both nations’ growth trajectory.

“Both India and Pakistan became independent around the same time, but look at the trajectories of both the nations. Balochistan is out of our hands, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is facing difficulties, Azad Kashmir has taken to the streets for their rights. On the other hand, look at India who has made a reputation for itself through technology, infrastructure, and economy,” Asif was purportedly seen saying in the viral video.

In the viral video, he is seen questioning Pakistan’s democracy, governance, and policies. Further he is heard saying that the people that "led Pakistan to this situation" should be questioned.

However, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB) declared in an X post that the viral video was AI-generated, as per a Dawn report. It added that the voice attributed to Asif was also generated using artificial intelligence.

"Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has not given any such statement," the Pakistan MoIB post read.

After the ministry’s clarification, many netizens have fact checked the same video appearing on multiple accounts, with some even sharing links to the purported original video clip as well.

In the original video clip shared on X, Asif is allegedly seen talking about Pakistan’s development during the 1960s.

He is also seen saying that the Pakistani cities didn’t get enough development projects, and also talked about the lack of rail infrastructure in the country.