Did a letter shared in May 2025 authentically show that Pakistan's Air Force had fired Air Vice Marshall Aurangzeb Ahmed, for supposedly "failing to protect" a nuclear facility? No, that's not true: The fake letter originated on an X account which describes its content as "political satire".
The letter appeared in a May 14, 2025, post on X (archived here). The text of the fake letter read as follows:
To
Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmed
Pakistan Air Force Headquarters
Centre of Gravity, IslamabadSubject: Termination of Appointment as Air Vice Marshal for failing to protect Kirana Hills Nuclear facility leading to radiation leak
Dear Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmed,
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.
This decision has been taken after careful deliberation at the highest levels of national security and defence, and in view of recent operational, strategic and administrative lapses under your centre of gravity.
You are hereby instructed to hand over charge to the designated interim Chief of the Air Staff as notified by the Ministry of Defence. All official documentation, classified material, and strategic briefings must be duly transferred in accordance with established protocols and centre of gravity.
We trust you will extend your full cooperation during the transition process.
Sincerely,
Lt Gen(R) Muhammad Ali
Secretary, Ministry of Defence
Government of Pakistan
The post can be viewed below:
(Source: X screenshot)
Ahmed is a real person, and does hold the position of Air Vice Marshal of Pakistan's Air Force, for which he also serves as director of public relations. However, the letter was fake. It originated in a post on X earlier on May 14, by @TheBaingan_, an account which describes its content as "political satire":
(Source: X screenshot)
Indeed, the words "Baingan | Satire" appeared in the the top-right corner of the fake letter:
(Source: X screenshot)
Amid intermittent clashes between India and Pakistan in May 2025, unconfirmed rumors emerged that India had struck a Pakistani nuclear facility at Kirana Hills, in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Lead Stories previously debunked a fake "official" letter supposedly confirming a nuclear leak at the same facility.
The repeated instances of the phrase "centre of gravity" appear to be a satirical reference to a recent press briefing in which Ahmed used that phrase, which became the subject of mockery in some quarters.
