Zalmay Khalilzad Shares Fake Post Targeting Pakistan, Prompts Online Backlash
Zalmay Khalilzad shared a fake post criticizing Pakistan, sparking backlash over misinformation and raising concerns about credibility in sensitive regional politics.
Former U.S. diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad reposted a fake social media message attributed to Tajikistan’s security chief criticizing Pakistan, drawing scrutiny over misinformation and online credibility.
Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. ambassador, shared on X a post from a fake account impersonating Saimumin Yatimov, Tajikistan’s state security chief, that criticised Pakistan’s military leadership.
The fabricated message claimed Yatimov advised Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munir, to choose peace with Afghanistan, invoking the country’s historic role as “the graveyard of empires.”
Khalilzad described the alleged statement as valuable advice and praised it as coming from an experienced Tajik official, despite the post being from an unauthenticated account.
Tajik officials have no presence on X, and the fake account used Persian rather than Tajikistan’s official Cyrillic script for the biography line.
Social media users questioned how an experienced diplomat could mistake a fabricated account for an official source. Khalilzad has not deleted the repost or commented publicly on the mistake.
Khalilzad remains a prominent critic of Pakistan’s military and security establishment, frequently expressing views on regional politics through social media posts.
Analysts note that this incident has raised concerns regarding misinformation risks in sensitive geopolitical debates, particularly when amplified by high-profile political figures.
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