Old video of ex-Pakistani leader Sharif calling for 'election boycott' circulates ahead of 2024 vote

The false post -- which included a logo for the PML-N in the top right-hand corner -- was viewed more than 288,000 times on social media platform X before it was deleted.

"The leader of Muslim League-N, Mr. Nawaz Sharif, said he would boycott the February 8 election in an emergency press conference yesterday," reads the Urdu-language caption alongside a 16-second video shared one day before Pakistanis went to the polls. 

"All the workers are requested to remain calm. The future action plan will be announced by the party leadership soon - Pakistan Muslim League Official." 

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Screenshot of false post taken by AFP on February 21, 2024.

Three-time prime minister Nawaz had been expected to sweep into power after analysts said he received the backing of the army, which turned against Khan.

He flew back from years of self-imposed medical exile in London to lead the election campaign after allegedly cutting a deal with the military that saw his graft convictions dissolve.

However, following the vote, the PML-N and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) came to a power-sharing agreement that was set to return Nawaz's brother Shehbaz -- considered softer and more pliable to military influence -- to the premiership, leaving out politicians loyal to jailed Khan despite them winning the most seats.  

The same video received more than 6,000 views on TikTok here and here after it was shared alongside a similar false claim.

Reverse image searches on Google found this two-minute four-second video from the Associated Press (AP) published on its YouTube channel on July 21, 2015 (archived link).

It was titled "Opposition leaders announce they will boycott January elections" and included AP's logo in the top right-hand corner.

According to AP's description, it shows a meeting of Pakistani opposition leaders held at Sharif's residence in Lahore on November 29, 2007.

The video in the false social media posts corresponds with the longer clip from its 43-second mark.

Below is a screenshot comparison between the video in the false posts (left) and the AP footage (right) at the 43-second mark:

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A screenshot comparison of the false post and the AP video. Taken by AFP on February 25, 2024.

"All Parties Conference is reiterating its principle stand of boycotting the elections. We are sticking to our already taken decision of boycotting the elections and today it has been reiterated," Sharif says in the video at the 43-second mark (archived link).

Members of several political parties met at his home and announced their decision to boycott the elections in protest at the imposition of emergency rule and the suspension of Pakistan's judiciary, according to the report.

Then military ruler Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency on November 3, 2007, sacking the nation's chief judge and blaming judicial interference in the government and a wave of Islamic militant attacks.

Various media outlets, including AFP, reported that Sharif subsequently U-turned on his decision to boycott the election, saying that any opposition move to shun the polls had to be unanimous.

However, Pakistan's Supreme Court later barred him from contesting the 2008 election due to his previous criminal convictions. 

AFP has also debunked other claims related to the 2024 elections in Pakistan here, here and here.