Edited video falsely shared as Pakistan politician 'apology' for protests

Published on August 27, 2024 at 11:37
3 min read
By Masroor GILANI, AFP Pakistan

An edited video of Ali Amin Gandapur -- a politician from the party of Pakistan's former leader Imran Khan -- surfaced online with the false claim it showed him apologising for violent protests that swept the country after Khan's arrest in May 2023. The original video in fact shows him saying that he would apologise if there was evidence to show his involvement in the unrest.

"It is my mistake and it was a mistake. I went to Corps Commander House Peshawar and apologised," read an Urdu-language post on X, formerly Twitter, that shared the video on August 11.

"Imran Khan has also made mistakes. He should admit his mistakes and apologise."

The post showed a video of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Ali Amin Gandapur speaking to reporters outside Adiala prison south of the capital Islamabad.

Former Pakistani prime minister and ex-cricketing star Imran Khan has been languishing in the jail since August 2023 when he was convicted of graft.

His arrest on May 9 that year sparked violent protests across Pakistan which saw unprecedented anger towards the military -- which Khan had criticised after he was ousted in 2022 (archived link).

Protesters stormed the residence of the corps commander in Lahore and laid siege to a gate of the army's general headquarters in Rawalpindi. In Peshawar, a mob razed the Chaghi monument -- a mountain-shaped sculpture honouring the location of Pakistan's first nuclear test (archived link).

Khan was slapped with a fresh charge of inciting riots, while Gandapur was accused of involvement and later released on bail (archived link) .

The video shared online appears to show Gandapur apologising and repeatedly saying "Yes, it was my mistake".

A screenshot taken on August 22, 2024 of the misleading post on X

The video circulated in similar posts on X here and here and on Facebook after Khan said he would apologise for the protests if evidence showed members of his PTI party were involved (archived link).

He had previously rejected the military's calls to apologise and accused it of staging the violence.

Some social media users appeared to believe it showed Gandapur apologising for the unrest.

"Thank God he apologised," one X user commented.

"Now they will confess everything gradually," another wrote.

However, the video is misleadingly edited.

No apology

A reverse image search and keyword search found the original video posted on the verified YouTube channel of local news outlet City 41 television on August 3, 2024 (archived link).

"Imran Khan ready to apologize for 9th May ? | Ali Ameen Gandapur Big Statement | City 41," the video is titled (archived link).

Below is a screenshot comparison of video shared on social media (left) and the City 41 video (right):

Screenshot comparison of video shared on social media (left) and the City 41 video

Gandapur did not apologise for the protests or mention Imran Khan in the video.

From the 3:10 mark of the footage, he said he was ready to apologise but his "mistake" should be proven first.

"I said on May 9 and before that a demand was made to tender an apology," he said in Urdu.

"Alright, I am ready to apologise, but first prove my mistake. But if it is not my mistake and if it is someone else's mistake, then who will apologise to me?"

Local news outlet Express News published a longer version of Gandapur's speech, which also did not show him offering an apology for the May 9 protests or calling on Khan to do so (archived link).

Pakistan's Geo TV also fact-checked this claim (archived link).

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