As deadly clashes erupt in Pakistan-administered Kashmir ahead of regional elections, an AI-manipulated image circulating online falsely claims to show an Indian official at a UK protest, suggesting India’s involvement in the unrest. The doctored image purports to depict an Indian official participating in a demonstration related to the turmoil in the region, but an investigation has revealed the official’s face was superimposed onto another protester.
The altered image, shared widely on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) with Urdu captions, claims that India’s “Hindutva Modi government” is backing the “Indian Action Committee.” This “Indian Action Committee” is a derisive term used for the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a protest movement active in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Both India and Pakistan assert full claims over the Muslim-majority region, which has been divided between them since their independence from British rule in 1947.
Opponents of the JAAC, which the Pakistani government banned under anti-terrorism laws in June – a move that triggered a wave of protests, clashes, and dozens of deaths with hundreds of arrests – allege the group is supported by India.
The fabricated image shows a man at a protest in a British street, with some demonstrators holding the flag of Azad Kashmir, the Pakistan-administered territory. A smaller, superimposed image in the bottom-left corner identifies the man as “Shri Ram Prakash,” stating he works at the Indian High Commission in London. The accompanying caption concludes, “The participation of the Indian High Commission in the Indian Action Committee’s rally in London has proven this to be true.”
However, a reverse image search and review of original footage from the protest reveal the deception. The protest footage, shared by Murtaza Ali Shah, UK Bureau Chief for Pakistani news outlet Geo News, on X on August 2, shows a different individual in the place of the “official.” This original video, captioned “British Kashmiris marched through Luton to express concern over the ongoing situation in AJK,” features the actual protester, who is visibly different from the person in the doctored image. This same individual can be seen in other footage of the Luton demonstration.
Further analysis of the falsely shared image using OpenAI’s image verification site detected a SynthID watermark, confirming that the image was “generated using Open AI tools,” indicating artificial intelligence manipulation.
While the false posts identify the individual as Shri Ram Prakash, the Principal Private Secretary (Second Secretary) to the Deputy High Commissioner at the Indian High Commission in London, the face used in the doctored image actually belongs to Harsh Kumar Jain, the current Indian ambassador to the Philippines. The picture used was lifted from a photograph of Jain taken in April 2024 during a meeting with Ukraine’s then first deputy minister of foreign affairs, Andrii Sybiha, when Jain was India’s ambassador to Ukraine.
The JAAC has been advocating for the abolition of 12 seats in the local legislature reserved for individuals who migrated from Indian-administered Kashmir. Supporters of the movement, who urged a boycott of the regional vote, contend that major Pakistani political parties exploit these reserved seats to influence the composition of the local parliament in their favor, often with the involvement of those who primarily reside outside the region.
The election commission postponed polling in two districts due to security concerns on August 7, just days before the scheduled third phase of elections. Overseas Kashmiris have organized demonstrations in the United Kingdom to raise awareness about the situation in the region. However, the circulating image, aiming to link an Indian official to these rallies, has been conclusively proven to be a fake, manipulated through AI.
