FACT CHECK: Does This Image Show A Large Demonstration In Pakistan Following The Ousting Of Imran Khan?

Elias Atienza | Senior Reporter

An image shared on Facebook purportedly shows a large demonstration in the city of Peshawar, Pakistan following the ousting of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Verdict: Misleading

The image shows a rally in Islamabad, Pakistan in March 2022, more than a week before Khan was removed from office.

Fact Check:

Khan was ousted as Prime Minister April 10 following a no-confidence vote by Pakistan’s National Assembly over allegations that he mishandled the country’s economic and foreign affairs, according to The Washington Post. The former prime minister is attempting a political comeback, holding large rallies in the country, The New York Times reported.

The Facebook image, uploaded April 13, appears to show a large crowd gathered at night. “Peshawar Jalsa right now,” reads the image’s caption. “Only ARY is covering this, the rest of the channels are blacking it out.” ARY News is a Pakistani news outlet. The caption also includes the hashtag #BehindYouSkipper, a pro-Khan slogan.

While the image does show a pro-Khan rally, the photo predates the former prime minister’s ousting and was not taken in April. A reverse image search found that the photo first appeared in a March 2022 NDTV article. The article detailed a March 27 rally in the capital city of Islamabad in support of Khan, where he addressed supporters and decried the effort to remove him.

The image also appeared on social media before Khan’s ousting. One Twitter user who identified himself as a journalist shared aerial views of the March 27 rally on Twitter, including the photo used in the Facebook post. (RELATED: No This Video Doesn’t Show Joe Biden And Ketanji Brown Jackson Celebrating The Ousting Of Imran Khan)

“Aerial Views of Imran Khan Jalsa Today Prade Ground Islamabad #PTIGovernment #ImranKhan #ImranKhanPrimeMinister #imrankhanPTI #imran #27MarchJalsa #امربالمعروف #AbsolutelyNot #Balochistan #aerialview #PTIJalsa,” reads the tweet. 

This is not the first time disinformation has stemmed from the ongoing political situation in Pakistan. Check Your Fact previously debunked a viral image claiming to show Russians protesting against American involvement in Pakistani internal affairs.

Elias Atienza

Senior Reporter
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