Fact-check: Fake satirical notification claims AVM Aurangzeb was sacked by govt

The fake letter was shared by an X (Twitter) account that shares political satire

By
Geo Fact-Check
|
Saman Amjad

Updated Thursday May 22 2025

A notification, purportedly issued by Pakistan's Ministry of Defence, is circulating on social media, falsely claiming that Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Aurangzeb Ahmed has been dismissed from the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) following recent tensions with India.

The letter is fabricated.

Claim

A supposed document dated May 14, allegedly from the Ministry of Defence, has gone viral. It appears to announce that AVM Aurangzeb Ahmed was removed from his post due to an alleged security breach at the Kirana Hills in Pakistan.

"I am directed to convey the decision of the Government of Pakistan to relieve you of your duties as Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force, with immediate effect for failing to protect Kirana Hills, a nuclear facility centre of gravity," the document reads.

The online notification regarding the alleged dismissal of Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmed.
The online notification regarding the alleged dismissal of Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmed.

Social media users in both Pakistan and India have questioned the authenticity of the document.

Fact

No such notification has been issued, and no such decision has been made regarding AVM Aurangzeb Ahmed, confirmed by both the Ministry of Defence and an independent verification by Geo Fact Check.

Sidra Hussain, the public relations officer at the Ministry of Defence, told Geo Fact Check over the phone that the letter was "fake".

"The Ministry of Defence has not issued any such notification, and [such] letters are not signed by the defence secretary himself," she said, noting that the false document was signed by Defence Secretary Lt Gen (R) Muhammad Ali, which is an irregularity.

There are several red flags in the notification too, such as in the top right corner, it is clearly marked "Baingan/Satire".

The irregularities in the alleged notification.
The irregularities in the alleged notification.

Geo Fact Check traced the origin of the fake document to an X (formerly Twitter) account named "The Baingan," which describes itself as a platform for "political satire".

Screenshot of the account that first shared the fake notification.
Screenshot of the account that first shared the fake notification.

Furthermore, the notification does not appear on the Ministry of Defence's official website, and no credible Pakistani news outlet has reported such a development.

Verdict: The viral document claiming that AVM Aurangzeb Ahmed was dismissed by the government of Pakistan is fake and satirical. The Ministry of Defence has denied issuing the document.

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