AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi took a sharp swipe at Pakistan on two fronts during an interaction with the Indian diaspora in Kuwait—mocking its Army Chief for presenting a doctored military image and calling for the country’s re-inclusion on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list.
Mockery Over Doctored Image from Chinese Drill
Owaisi joined a chorus of criticism after Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir reportedly handed over a photograph to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, claiming it represented “Operation Bunyan al-Marsus” against India. The image, however, turned out to be from a 2019 Chinese military drill.
The blunder quickly went viral, with netizens accusing Pakistani leadership of using Photoshop to create false military narratives. Indians online mocked the move, sharing the original image and sarcastically suggesting Pakistan was trying to "win wars" with Canva.
Owaisi didn’t hold back either. “Yesterday, the Pakistani Army chief gifted a photo to the Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif,” he said. “These stupid jokers want to compete with India, they had given a photograph of a 2019 Chinese Army drill claiming it is a victory over India.”
“This is what Pakistan indulges in, they cannot even provide a proper photograph. Nakal karne ke liye akal chahiye, inke pass akal bhi nahi hai (It takes brains to copy, and they don’t even have that),” he added.
Owaisi said the incident is just another reason why Pakistan’s claims should not be taken seriously on the international stage.
The controversy over the doctored image emerged in the backdrop of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan. Relations between the two nations further deteriorated after a terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists.
In retaliation, India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ on May 7–8, targeting terror infrastructure across the border, resulting in the elimination of over 100 terrorists in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.
Call for Pakistan's Return to FATF Grey List
Shifting focus to financial security concerns, Owaisi strongly advocated for Pakistan’s return to the FATF grey list.
As a member of the all-party delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda, he warned that Pakistan could misuse international financial aid for terror financing and military support.
"Pakistan must be brought back in the FATF grey list. The importance of the FATF grey list is that there will be huge scrutiny on that nation when you do money transactions," Owaisi said.
Highlighting the role of illegal financial channels, he added, “It is a fact that Pakistan uses the Middle East hawala or money laundering to sponsor terror groups against India...bringing Pakistan in FATF is very important because...the 2 billion loan which the IMF is giving will be used by the Pakistani military…”
He also dismissed Pakistan’s recurring attempts to raise religious narratives against India. "Pakistan can't take up this issue (of religion) and say that they are Muslims...in India, there is a larger Muslim population...and we (Indian Muslims) are more sincere than them (Pakistan)," he said.