Disinformation Case 1 – Civil War Abrupted in Azad Jammu and Kashmir
A set of videos circulated widely on X (Formerly Twitter) with the caption “BREAKING: Confrontation between local and Pak Forces in the Mirpur area of POK. Locals ablaze multiple Pak Army vehicles and shops belong to relatives of Pakistan Army officers. The situation is extremely tense. Multiple protesters killed in Pak firing.” The claim further asserted that locals set fire to multiple Pakistan Army vehicles and shops belonging to relatives of Pakistan Army officers, resulting in multiple deaths due to Pakistani firing.
Another Indian account on X shared the same videos with the same caption as above.
The claim gained traction on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), the claim was shared here, here, here and here gaining upwards of more than 72.3K views.
Fact Check
To verify the claim’s authenticity, a reverse imaging technique was employed, revealing that the incident took place when a group of pro-Palestinian people stormed the outlet of American fast food restaurant chain, KFC overnight in Mirpur, AJK allegedly referring to it as an Israeli outlet. According to reports,50 miscreants were arrested in connection to the attack.
The viral claim appears to have been shared with the intent to incite unrest and misrepresent the situation in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Conclusion
Our fact check confirms that a civil war or confrontation between locals and Pakistani forces in Mirpur, Pakistan-administered Kashmir, is false. The incident involved protests against a fast food restaurant, it does not show clashes with security forces.
Disinformation Case 2 – Anti-Pakistan Slogan Being Chanted in Azad Jammu and Kashmir
A video went viral on X (Formerly Twitter) with the caption “Pakistan se lain ge Azadi” Slogans being chanted by Kashmiris in #pok in front of the Pakistan army. They are losing Kashmir while conquering their people in Pakistan and stealing mandate.” The video shows visuals of protestors chanting anti-Pakistan slogans in front of Pakistan Army personnel.
This post was re-shared more than 1.5K times and had more than 260K views while reporting.
Another X user posted, “Pakistan se lain ge Azadi” Slogans being chanted by Kashmiris in #pok in front of the Pakistan army. They are losing Kashmir while conquering their own people in Pakistan!”
The claim gained traction on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), the claim was shared here, here, here, and here gaining upwards of more than 260K views.
Fact Check
To verify the claim’s authenticity, a comprehensive fact-checking process was initiated. A reverse imaging technique was employed, revealing that the shared video dates back to 2022. In the original video, protesters are clearly heard shouting slogans against making Kashmir a province against the Fifteenth Amendment. The video is not related to recent protests.
The viral claim appears to have been shared with the intent to misrepresent the context of the protests, creating a misleading narrative that conflates anti-inflation protests with anti-Pakistan sentiments.
Conclusion
Our fact check confirms that an old video is reshared with a dubbed voice-over and a misleading claim. The video originally dates back to 2022, linking it to ongoing protests in Kashmir is misleading and false.
Disinformation Case 3 – Pakistan Army Training Pak Youth for Terrorism
An Indian account ‘Kashmir Facts’ shared an image of Pakistan Army official training youth to use a gun with the caption “Difference btw 🇮🇳 Army & 🇵🇰 Army. While 🇵🇰army trains their youth for terrorism, the 🇮🇳 Army is empowering Kashmiri youth with technology education, igniting a path towards innovation & progress” claiming that the Pakistan armed forces are training Pakistan youth to become terrorists.
The claim gained traction on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), and the claim was shared here gaining upwards of more than 4K views.
Fact Check
To verify the claim’s authenticity, a comprehensive fact-checking process was initiated. A reverse imaging technique was employed, revealing that the shared image dates back to March 2015. This picture is from The National Cadet Corps (NCC) basic civil-defense training, which was imparted to college students in the past by the Pakistan Army.
The viral claim appears to have been shared with the intent to discredit the Pakistan Army by falsely portraying its engagement with the youth as militaristic and terror-oriented, contrasting this with the positive portrayal of the Indian Army’s initiatives in Kashmir.
Conclusion
Our fact check confirmed that the image shared with claims of the Pakistan Army training youth for terrorism is misleading. The photograph is from a civil defense training session conducted by the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and facilitated by the Pakistan Army, aimed at educating college students in basic defense skills. The claim incorrectly associates this training with terrorism.
Disinformation Case 4 – TTP Attacks Pakistani Security Forces
A video circulating on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption “TTP (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan) ambush on a Pakistan security forces vehicle.” Showing visuals of heavy firing on Pakistani armed forces vehicles.
The video was shared more than 2K times and had more than 2.9 million views on X.
The claim gained traction on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), the claim was shared here, here, here, and here gaining upwards of more than 2.9M views.
Fact Check
To verify the claim’s authenticity, a reverse imaging technique was employed, revealing the same video was shared by an X user on October 26, 2022. However, we could not find the exact source of the video, but it is evident that the viral video is old and has been circulated for years.
The viral claim appears to have been shared with the intent to incite fear and portray the TTP as actively engaged in attacks on Pakistan’s security forces. However, the outdated nature of the video undermines the credibility of the claim, suggesting a potential agenda to mislead or manipulate public opinion.
Conclusion
Our fact check confirms that the shared video does not depict a recent TTP ambush on Pakistan security forces. Its age and recurrent circulation indicate that it is not related to any recent events. Therefore, the claim is false, and its dissemination may contribute to the spread of misinformation.
Disinformation Case 5 – Pakistan Army Soldiers Dancing to Celebrate 9th May
A video viral on X (Formerly Twitter) with the caption “Preparations for Ceremony on the 9th of May are in full swing.” showed visuals of uniformed official dancing with a woman. The claim was widely shared by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters.
What happened on May 9?
On May 9, 2023, following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan least 10 people lost their lives and hundreds sustained injuries, while approximately 40 public buildings and military installations were damaged, including Lahore Corps Commander’s House (Jinnah House) and Askari Tower in Lahore, General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Office in Faisalabad, FC Fort in Chakdara, Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar, Toll Plaza at Swat Motorway and the Mianwali Air Base.
In total, 62 outbreaks of violence were documented, inflicting a loss of Rs2.5 billion on the country, of which, according to the State, Rs1.98 billion in losses were suffered by the army.
The claim gained traction on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), the claim was shared here, here, here and here gaining upwards of more than 42.7K views.
Fact Check
To verify the claim’s authenticity, a comprehensive fact-checking process was initiated. A reverse imaging technique was employed, revealing that the shared video dates back to 2022 from Azerbaijan. Similar videos of Azerbaijani soldiers celebrating were also found hence the video is falsely linked with the Pakistan Army.
The viral claim appears to have been shared with the intent to mislead the public and create a false narrative involving the Pakistan Army.
Conclusion
Our fact check confirms that the shared video while real, is misrepresented. The video dates back to 2022 and shows Azerbaijani soldiers celebrating, not the soldiers of the Pakistan Army. The claim that the video depicts a Pakistan Army soldier dancing with a woman in preparation for a ceremony on May 9 is false.
Disinformation Case 6 – Pakistan Army Celebrating Pakistan’s Moon Mission
A video viral on Facebook with the caption “Congratulations Pakistanis on first successful moon mission” showing visuals of Pakistan Army officials cheering and celebrating.
Background
On May 8, 2024, ICUBE-Q was successfully launched into lunar orbit, marking a defining moment in Pakistan’s space program. The Chinese Chang’e 6 lunar mission aided a combined effort between Pakistan’s Institute of Space Technology (IST) and China’s Shanghai Jiao Tong University, resulting in a historical milestone.
The claim gained traction on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), the claim was shared here, here and here gaining upwards of more than 1K views. On Facebook here gaining upwards of 81K views.
Fact Check
To verify the claim’s authenticity, a reverse imaging technique was employed, revealing that the shared video dated back to 2021 and is actually a celebration video of Pakistan Army soldiers during the Pakistan vs India T20 Cricket match.
Conclusion
Our fact check confirms that the shared video, while real, is misrepresented. The footage is from 2021 and shows Pakistan Army soldiers celebrating a cricket match victory against India, not the ICUBE-Q lunar mission. The claim that the video depicts celebrations of Pakistan’s first successful moon mission is false.
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