This image has been altered to add a 'wet patch' to the Indian officer's trousers

This article is more than one year old.
Published on December 4, 2021 at 04:12
2 min read
By Wasi MIRZA, AFP Pakistan

A photo shared repeatedly on social media in Pakistan appears to show a Pakistani border guard shaking hands with an Indian border guard who has a wet patch on his trousers. The photo, however, has been altered to make it look as though he has soiled himself. The original image shows the men shaking hands at a border crossing between Pakistan and India.

The image -- which has the wet patch circled in blue -- was shared here on Twitter on November 24, 2021.

Screenshot of the tweet with the altered image. Taken on November 25, 2021 ( AFP / )

It was shared alongside the hashtag "AbhiNoneDoneAward" -- a play on words mocking Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman after he received a gallantry award in November 2021 for allegedly shooting down a Pakistani aircraft in 2019.

Pakistan denies having lost any aircraft and hit back at the gallantry award. The country's foreign office termed it a "classic case of Indian fabrication and pure fantasy," Pakistan newspaper Dawn reported.

The image that appears to show the Indian officer with soiled trousers was also shared in Twitter posts here, here, here and here.

The posts featured the same "AbhiNoneDoneAward" hashtag with some also directly criticising India.

"Unfortunately! Our neighbors are damn good at making a fool out of themselves," one tweet read.

However, the image used in the posts has been altered.

A reverse image search found the original photo -- published here by the Associated Press -- does not contain a wet patch.

"In this Dec. 25 2008 file photo, Pakistani, right in black uniform, and Indian border guards shake hands during the 'Beating the Retreat' ceremony at the India and Pakistan joint border check post of Wagah near Lahore, Pakistan," the photo's description reads.

Below is a screenshot comparing the altered image (L) and the original (R):

Screenshot comparing the altered photo (left) and the original (right). Taken on November 25, 2021. ( AFP / )

The Beating of the Retreat is a daily event held at the Wagah border post in which guards from both sides engage in symbolic marches and ceremonies, ending with a handshake as the border gates close.

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This image has been altered to add a 'wet patch' to the Indian officer's trousers

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