Believe it or not: Sialkot gets a slice of dupe dough

Adding to a growing list of public blunders, this time Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has landed himself not in a soup, but instead on a slice of piping hot pizza. With flowers arranged, a red carpet laid out and cameras rolling, Asif arrived to inaugurate what was presented as a Pizza Hut outlet in Sialkot. The event played out seamlessly — until the American fast-food giant publicly disowned the outlet, calling it “unauthorised”. The brand said that the outlet “doesn’t follow international recipes, quality protocol, food safety and operational standards”. The ‘fake’ outlet sparked a lot of chatter online, with netizens digging up old gaffes made by Asif. One X usuer said, “How does the defense minister have so much time?”, while another asked, “Which outlet is he inaugurating next?” The pizza plot thickens

Asif inaugurated an outlet decked out as Pizza Hut, complete with branding and fanfare. The chain later clarified it was “unauthorised,” stressing it operates only 16 official stores nationwide and has filed a complaint to stop trademark misuse. Cue memes, mockery and a lesson in checking logos before cutting ribbons.

Not his first gaffe

Asif when asked on CNN for proof that his forces shot down Indian jets during Operation Sindoor, he pointed to “Indian social media,” insisting, “It is all over the Indian media,” as evidence. The anchor promptly rebuked him for citing unverified posts. India’s Press Information Bureau then fact-checked the narrative, showing the viral images were unrelated and recycled by pro-Pakistan accounts — turning his media moment into an endless array of trolling and giving India the upper hand.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”