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HomeWorldGovt debunks Pakistan’s false claim that India asked for Imran Khan’s custody

Govt debunks Pakistan’s false claim that India asked for Imran Khan’s custody

According to the PIB’s fact-check unit, the letter circulating online is a complete fabrication designed to look like a “top-secret Ministry of External Affairs" document.

December 01, 2025 / 19:49 IST

The government on Monday warned citizens about a “fake letter" spreading across social media, falsely suggesting that India had requested Pakistan to hand over Imran Khan as a political prisoner.

According to the Press Information Bureau’s fact-check unit, the letter circulating online is a complete fabrication designed to look like a “top-secret Ministry of External Affairs" document. PIB noted that the piece of propaganda is being pushed by “several Pakistani propaganda accounts" attempting to mislead Indian users.

PIB stated, “Several Pakistani propaganda accounts are circulating a letter on social media, claiming it to be a top-secret Ministry of External Affairs document that allegedly leaked online. The fabricated letter claims that the Indian Government has requested Pakistan to send Imran Khan to India as a political prisoner." It urged citizens to stay alert and avoid spreading unverified material.

“This letter is fake. The claims being made in this letter are false, baseless, and part of an ongoing disinformation campaign being pushed by Pakistan against India. Do not share unverified content. Trust only official Government of India sources for accurate information," PIB confirmed.

This attempt is part of a wider pattern of Pakistan-linked misinformation targeting Indian institutions. Throughout the day, PIB exposed several such falsehoods, pointing to a coordinated effort to plant fabricated narratives.

One example involved a digitally altered letter wrongly attributed to Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh. The forged document tried to portray him as praising Pakistan’s military strength. PIB clarified, “The letter is fake and digitally morphed using AI. In the original letter, the Chief of the Air Staff only conveys his best wishes for the success of Defence Partnership Days 2025."

In another instance, Pakistani networks circulated a deepfake video of Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan. The video falsely claimed that India had “surrendered Arunachal and Ladakh to China" because of an allegedly weak air force.

PIB warned that such falsehoods are increasingly being produced using sophisticated AI tools, and advised users to verify any sensitive content. The agency stressed that Pakistan’s continued attempts at spreading disinformation highlight the need for heightened digital vigilance in India.

Moneycontrol World Desk
first published: Dec 1, 2025 07:49 pm

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