By The South Asia Times

PESHAWAR  - The credibility of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan is facing renewed scrutiny after its deputy spokesman was accused of circulating an artificial intelligence-generated image to support claims of a Pakistani airstrike on civilians.

The controversy erupted on Sunday after Hamdullah Fitrat, a deputy spokesman for the Taliban administration, shared an image on social media that he said showed a house destroyed by a Pakistani strike in Kandahar. The image, which quickly circulated online, purportedly depicted a residential building engulfed in flames and reduced to rubble.

However, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said the image was AI-generated and part of what it described as a broader campaign of misinformation aimed at portraying Pakistan as targeting civilians.

In a fact-check released shortly after the claim surfaced, officials said the image showed “clear visual inconsistencies” typical of AI-generated visuals and did not correspond to any verified incident. The ministry accused the Taliban of spreading fabricated material to mislead the international community amid rising tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

When The South Asia Times contacted Hamdullah Fitrat and asked why he had posted what appeared to be an AI-generated image to support his claim, and whether he had any video evidence showing the house being hit by a Pakistani airstrike, he read the message on WhatsApp but did not respond. 

The latest dispute comes as Pakistan continues military operations targeting militant infrastructure along the border with Afghanistan, including facilities linked to the terrorist group, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a terrorist group responsible for numerous attacks inside Pakistan.

Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban administration in Kabul of allowing TTP terrorists to operate from Afghan territory, a charge the Taliban deny.

According to Pakistani officials, the latest controversy unfolded hours after cross-border shelling struck the Bajaur District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing four brothers when a mortar shell hit their home in the Salarzai area on Sunday.

Pakistan says the attack originated from Afghan territory and targeted civilians in the area.

Meanwhile, Pakistan acknowledged conducting targeted strikes against militant facilities inside Afghanistan but insisted the operations were aimed solely at militant hideouts and logistical infrastructure.

Security analysts say the AI image controversy highlights a broader information war unfolding alongside the military confrontation between militant groups and Pakistani forces.

Over the past several weeks, the Afghan Taliban and affiliated channels have circulated several claims about alleged attacks on Pakistani military assets. Some of those claims -- including reports of a downed Pakistani fighter jet or successful strikes on military bases -- were later disputed by Pakistani authorities and independent observers who said supporting evidence was lacking.

Recently, when the Taliban and some Indian media outlets claimed that a Pakistani fighter jet had been shot down and its pilot captured, journalists asked for wreckage or video proof of the pilot’s capture. Taliban officials later said the report was not true.

“The Taliban have historically exaggerated battlefield claims,” said a regional political analyst familiar with the conflict dynamics along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. “But the use of AI-generated imagery represents a new dimension in the information war.”

 Digital misinformation has become an increasing concern globally as advances in artificial intelligence allow images and videos to be generated that appear realistic but are entirely fabricated.

- International credibility at stake

For international observers, the episode underscores the challenges of verifying claims emerging from conflict zones where competing narratives are common.

Diplomats and analysts say repeated misinformation risks undermining the credibility of official statements from the Taliban administration at a time when the regime in Kabul is seeking greater international recognition.

“If official channels circulate questionable material, it raises concerns about reliability,” said Zahid Abdullah, a journalist covering South Asian security issues. “Governments and international organizations increasingly have to verify such claims independently.”

The information battle is unfolding against the backdrop of escalating tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Pakistan has launched several operations targeting militant hideouts near the border, while accusing the Taliban regime of failing to prevent TTP terrorists from launching attacks inside Pakistan.

Violence in Pakistan’s western regions has surged since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021, with militants targeting security forces and civilians in multiple provinces.