Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif faces backlash as X fact-checks his Kashmir post, revealing false claims and AI-generated content (Photo: Pinterest)
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif came under criticism after his recent X (formerly Twitter) post commemorating what he referred to as the darkest day in Kashmir's history within a matter of hours, X's community notes function had marked his assertions as historically inaccurate.
To add insult to injury, the users highlighted that the post seemed to have been composed with generative AI overwhelmingly allegedly 73% of it. The row soon degenerated into a combination of fact-checking, mocking online, and heightened debates about Pakistan's longstanding disinformation campaigns on Kashmir.
In his tweet, Sharif blamed India for annexing Jammu and Kashmir on October 27, 1947 a day Pakistan commemorates as Kashmir Black Day. He characterized the incident as the beginning of decades of "oppression and denial of Kashmiri self-determination."
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But history is different. On that day, Indian forces were deployed to Srinagar not to occupy it, but to save the area from Pakistan sponsored tribal militias that had invaded just days before.
Sharif's tweet was quickly corrected by means of X's community notes, a crowd sourced fact-checking mechanism that lets authenticated users provide context to incorrect content. The note explained that Maharaja Hari Singh, the ruler of Jammu and Kashmir had lawfully acceded to India on October 26, 1947. Indian forces were airlifted the very next day to defend the state from armed intruders. The correction even referenced historical documents and Wikipedia sources in order to support its arguments.
The fact-check triggered massive reactions users trolled Sharif's version of history, making memes, archival photos and sarcastic comments. The political statement gradually developed into an online embarrassment for the Pakistani Prime Minister.
In addition to the factual inaccuracies, another controversy broke out as users realized that Sharif's long post had uncannily smooth grammar and structure. An X user alleged that AI-spotting tools detected 73% of the post as having been written by AI. "I was thinking how you managed to write something so long without mistakes," joked the user. This discovery further added to the jibes, with critics accusing Sharif of writing propaganda using AI.
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Afghan analyst Qari Eisa Mohammadi also chimed in, stating that Pakistan ought to attend to its economic crises rather than lecture on Kashmir. He noted that "Kashmir under Indian administration enjoys more stability and progress than Pakistan itself."
Evidence from 1947 testifies that the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India was legal and voluntary when Pakistan supported terrorists attacked, Maharaja Hari Singh appealed for assistance from India and signed the Instrument of Accession. Governor-General Lord Mountbatten accepted it on 27 October 1947, making the state a member of the Indian Union.
India's intervention was therefore defensive, rather than imperial and this account is corroborated by British-era documents and even modern international reports.
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Disclaimer: This article is for informational and editorial purposes only and does not promote or endorse any political viewpoint or agenda.
