The Afghan Taliban’s dramatic claims of having destroyed the Bab-e-Dosti (Friendship Gate) at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Chaman have now been exposed as false, raising serious questions not just about their credibility but also about their much-touted commitment to Shariah, which strongly prohibits and condemns lies.
The Inspector General of Frontier Corps, North Balochistan, released a photo on Thursday, taken while standing on the Pakistani side of the border. The image clearly shows the gate on the Pakistani side intact and undamaged, in sharp contrast to Taliban propaganda circulated earlier on social media, which claimed the gate had been destroyed.
In reality, only the Afghan-side portion of the gate appears to have been damaged, possibly by their own forces. The Pakistani gate remains fully operational and unscathed.
Shariah Strongly Condemns Falsehoods
This incident has also drawn attention to the Taliban’s religious hypocrisy. While they proclaim themselves the standard-bearers of Islamic law in Afghanistan, their repeated use of misinformation directly violates basic Islamic teachings. Lying and deception are categorically forbidden in Islam, and such behaviour seriously undermines the moral foundation on which the Taliban claim to govern.
From the Holy Qur’an to Hadith, truthfulness is a key tenet of Islamic leadership. Yet the Taliban have repeatedly resorted to false narratives to either cover up battlefield losses or exaggerate victories — a tactic more familiar in psychological warfare than in any system based on Islamic principles.
Pattern of Deception
This isn’t the first time Taliban sources have spread inaccurate or fabricated content about the situation on the border. From doctored battlefield footage to claims of seizing Pakistani tanks or equipment, many of their reports have been publicly debunked.
Security officials have noted that such misinformation is part of a broader media strategy aimed at distracting from internal weaknesses and recent military setbacks, especially as Pakistani forces continue targeted operations against TTP militants launching cross-border attacks from Afghan soil.
Trust Undermined
By resorting to propaganda over truth, the Taliban risk further alienating regional partners, especially Pakistan — a country that for decades hosted millions of Afghan refugees, extended diplomatic cover, and advocated for peace in the region.
Such actions not only damage bilateral trust, but they also erode the Taliban’s standing in the eyes of their own people, many of whom continue to suffer under worsening economic conditions and growing insecurity in Afghanistan.
The false claim of destroying Bab-e-Dosti Gate is more than just another disinformation blunder. It reflects deeper contradictions between what the Taliban preach and what they practice. If a group claiming to enforce Shariah cannot uphold the basic Islamic obligation of truthfulness, what moral authority can it possibly claim?
Truth is a cornerstone of justice. And no state, Islamic or otherwise, can stand on a foundation of lies.
