Multiple pro-Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and anti-state accounts on social media platform X have been sharing a video since Monday, claiming it shows Pakistani security forces firing directly on unarmed protesters in Rawalakot, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). However, the footage is actually from Karachi, where police clashed with protesters near the US Consulate in March.
Background of the Unrest
On Sunday, four policemen were killed and at least two protesters died in violent clashes outside the Combined Military Hospital Rawalakot, after police moved against supporters of the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). The unrest was triggered by the death of a trader allegedly shot during a confrontation with law enforcement on Saturday. Protesters are demanding the withdrawal of JAAC’s proscription. The situation in the territory remains tense amid an internet and communications blackout, leading to numerous unsubstantiated reports of gunfire exchanges between protesters and security forces, resulting in deaths and injuries.
How the Misinformation Spread
On Monday, a user who appears to be pro-PTI posted a video online showing a clash between policemen and protesters. The caption read: “In Rawalakot, the police have been firing directly at the protesters. As you can clearly see in the video, police thugs are beating a Kashmiri with batons.” The post accumulated 69,000 views. A second pro-PTI account shared the same video with a caption claiming (translated from Urdu): “The number of martyrs in Rawalakot has crossed 200, including children, the elderly and the young.” This post received 44,000 views.
An anti-state account posted the same video with the caption: “The Republic of Balochistan condemns the direct firing on and killing of unarmed Kashmiri protesters in Rawalakot and other areas of PoK by the invading forces of Pakistan in strongest possible terms.” It garnered over 19,000 views. Another pro-PTI user shared the video with the caption: “Police have opened fire directly on unarmed civilians in Rawalakot,” receiving more than 7,000 views.
An X user claiming to be a journalist from New Delhi, India, also shared the video, captioning it: “Pakistani forces are firing indiscriminately on civilians in Pak-occupied Kashmir for demanding basic rights and dignity.” This post gathered 4,294 views. An additional anti-state account posted the video with the caption: “Violent clashes between security forces and protesters from the JAAC resulting in significant casualties,” which received 4,000 views. The video was subsequently shared by several other accounts.
Fact-Check Methodology
A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and public interest. Observers noted that some comments pointed out the video was from Karachi, not AJK. A reverse-image search yielded a YouTube video dated March 3, uploaded by Samar Abbas, identified as the Karachi bureau chief for Public News. The video, titled “After US Consulate Karachi attack, SSP Keamari Amjad Sheikh and officers were removed for negligence,” contains the same footage in higher resolution. A road signboard in the clip reads “Karachi Port”, “Kemari”, and “Shershah”, confirming the location as Moulvi Tamizuddin Khan Road (MT Khan Road), Karachi.
A keyword search for news reports around that date found a March 1 story by Dawn. The report documented violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement outside the US Consulate in Karachi following the assassination of former Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to the article, protesters attempted to storm the consulate, prompting security forces to fire tear gas to disperse them.
Fact-Check Status: False
The claim that the viral video shows security forces firing at protesters in AJK’s Rawalakot is false. The video is old and actually shows clashes between police and protesters in Karachi in March after Khamenei’s assassination. This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan, a project of CEJ-IBA and UNDP.
