Fact-check: Viral video claiming Matiullah Jan's expulsion from PMA is false

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 4 December 2024 |  JP Staff Report

A viral video falsely claims that journalist Matiullah Jan was expelled from the Pakistan Military Academy. Fact-checking by iVerify shows it was manipulated from a TV drama.

Summary

ISLAMABAD—iVerify Pakistan, a fact-checking initiative by UNDP and CEJ-IBA, has debunked claims that journalist Matiullah Jan was dishonorably discharged from the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA). The viral video circulating on social media was found to be doctored using AI and originates from the drama serial Ehd-e-Wafa, aired on HUM TV.

The video began trending on X (formerly Twitter) on November 28, with users sharing it to criticize Jan. Accounts linked to PTI critics and pro-military narratives alleged that Jan was expelled due to "character issues." Notably, journalist Wajahat Kazmi and other pro-government profiles also shared the video with similar claims.

Upon analysis, the video was traced to the 16th episode of Ehd-e-Wafa, specifically at the 7:32-minute mark, uploaded on YouTube in 2020. A comparison revealed AI editing, as Jan's face was superimposed onto a PMA cadet's body, with visible distortions at the 26-second mark of the viral clip.

iVerify confirmed, "The claim that the video shows Matiullah Jan being drummed out of PMA is false." Suno News, a platform linked to spreading the video, declined to comment.

KEY POINTS:

• The viral video claims Matiullah Jan was expelled from PMA.
• iVerify confirms the video is doctored using AI technology.
• The original footage is from the drama Ehd-e-Wafa.
• The video began trending on November 28 on X.
• Pro-PTI accounts circulated the clip to discredit Jan.