If there were an award for propaganda and making a mockery of itself, Pakistan would surely be a major contender. A day after the Indian Army killed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Mohammad Asif, a former Special Service Group (SSG) commando, Pakistan sought to present his lookalike to the media on Thursday to challenge India's version. On Wednesday, India claimed to have killed Md Asif, alias Hashim Musa, during an encounter in J&K's Budgam district.
However, the man Pakistan claimed to be Mohammad Asif quickly came under scrutiny. Independent OSINT accounts were quick to debunk Pakistan's claim by pointing to alleged mismatches in the man's facial and anatomical features. It essentially exposed Pakistan's nefarious attempt to present a duplicate to dispute India's version.
PAKISTAN'S PROPAGANDA CALLED OUT
The person was presented by DG ISPR Lt General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, widely known for his theatrics and spreading anti-India hate, at a press conference on Thursday. Identifying himself as Md Asif, he claimed that he retired as a havildar from the SSG in 2023.
He claimed to have joined the Pakistani army in 2000. "In 2005, I joined the SSG, performed my duty for 18 years, and retired in 2023... I am alive and present before you," he further said.
There is hardly any precedent of Pakistan bringing a serving or retired Pakistani soldier on camera to counter an Indian claim.
However, analysts comparing the man presented by Pakistan with older images of Musa, known by his nickname Fauji, have pointed to several differences in their facial features, including the shape of the ears, nose, and the alignment of the eyes. It has, however, not been independently verified by Jaano Junction.
Pakistan's propaganda was prominently called out by defence experts and former Indian military officials.
"Pakistan, as usual, produced a fake individual and named him Hashim Musa, aware that the truth is out. The individual will never be seen again. Nothing new from a lying Pakistan," Major General Harsha Kakar (retd) tweeted.
Brigadier Brijesh Pandey also posted, "There could be many Musas that Pakistan harbours. Is this Musa Pakistani Corps Commander that he is sitting next to him? Does FATF need bigger proof?"
WHO WAS MD ASIF, ALIAS HASHIM MUSA?
The evasive Musa, who was behind a string of deadly attacks targeting civilians and security forces in the Pir Panjal region and Kashmir Valley, was killed in an encounter in Yousmarg on Wednesday.
He was one of four LeT terrorists whose picture went viral after the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 25 tourists. All four of them have now been killed in separate encounters by the security forces. You can read in detail about it here.
Musa remained the last surviving member of the group. Highly trained and battle-hardened, it helped him navigate the rugged terrain of the Pir Panjal region and evade security forces for years.
In Pakistan, Musa was part of several sensitive assignments. Between 2006 and 2008, Musa was reportedly part of former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's security detail. He was also part of counter-insurgency operations in Balochistan.
Thus, the killing of Musa was a big win for Indian counter-terror operations and a serious blow to the Lashkar ecosystem in J&K.
Source: India Today