JournalismPakistan.com | Published November 21, 2024 at 05:07 pm | JP Staff Report
Join our WhatsApp channel
ISLAMABAD—iVerify Pakistan, a fact-checking initiative by the Centre for Excellence in Journalism (CEJ) and UNDP has dismissed as old and misleading a video circulating on social media featuring singer Attaullah Esakhelvi allegedly urging support for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) November 24 protest.
The viral video, shared by several PTI-affiliated accounts on social media platform X since November 17, 2024, was determined to be from March 2022. iVerify Pakistan utilized reverse image search techniques to authenticate the video's origin, concluding that it was being misrepresented.
A digital platform, Naya Pakistan, posted the video with the caption: “Get out for the sake of Pakistan. Go forth for the sake of your Khan.” The post received significant traction, garnering over 185,000 views and being reshared 13,000 times.
Compounding the misinformation, a doctored version of the video surfaced on social media, shared by anti-PTI users. In this altered version, Esakhelvi appears to criticize PTI and its leadership, saying: “Step out for Qasim and Suleman. Step out for Tyrian. We are not shameless enough to send our children to die on the streets while Imran’s Jewish children live lavishly in Britain. Shame on you, Imran Khan. Stop the politics of corpses. Long live Pakistan!”
This manipulated clip, posted on X on November 18, accrued 25,600 views and was amplified by musician Jawad Ahmed, chairman of the Barabri Pakistani Party, who shared it with an audience of 64,100 viewers.
iVerify Pakistan, a non-partisan initiative supported by UNDP and managed by CEJ at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Karachi, aims to counter misinformation through rigorous fact-checking. The team continues to call for responsible social media use and critical evaluation of information before sharing.
Photo credit: umw.edu.pk
January 17, 2025: In an unprecedented breach of judicial protocol, Pakistani journalists accurately revealed Imran Khan's 14-year sentence in the Al-Qadir case on social media 24 hours before the official verdict, raising serious questions about court independence
January 17, 2025: Geo News faces backlash for insensitive coverage of Saif Ali Khan’s stabbing, airing Bollywood song clips before announcing the tragic news
January 17, 2025: An in-depth analysis of ARY News' false reporting on Imran Khan's verdict and the broader crisis of unverified news in Pakistani electronic media, exploring solutions for responsible journalism.
January 16, 2025: The FIA has registered cases against five individuals, including journalist Imran Riaz Khan and PTI leader Shahbaz Gill, for sharing defamatory AI-generated content targeting the UAE President and Punjab Chief Minister. How does this reflect on Pakistan-UAE relations and the misuse of AI?
January 13, 2025: An analysis of Absar Alam's controversial criticism of successful Pakistani YouTubers in exile, examining the intersection of journalism, digital media success, and political persecution, while questioning the credibility of criticism from a former PEMRA chief whose own appointment was declared illegal.
January 13, 2025: Prominent journalist Asma Shirazi faces relentless online harassment in a coordinated campaign involving gendered disinformation. Press freedom groups demand immediate action to protect female journalists in Pakistan.
January 10, 2025: The FIA Cyber Wing is investigating a social media campaign involving AI-manipulated images of Maryam Nawaz and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed. Teams are working to trace the content's origins and identify those involved.
January 05, 2025: JournalismPakistan.com welcomes renowned cricket historian and broadcaster Dr. Nauman Niaz as sports editor, bringing his extensive experience in cricket journalism, broadcasting, and scholarly work to strengthen the platform's sports coverage.
January 16, 2025 Explore the evolution of the ICC Champions Trophy and cricket’s commercialization journey, from a gentleman’s game to a global enterprise. Discover how the ICC balanced tradition with revenue generation.
January 12, 2025 Explore an in-depth analysis of Pakistan cricket's decline in Test matches, examining systemic failures, cultural challenges, and the urgent need for modernization. From mismanagement of talents like Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi to resistance against technological advancement, this comprehensive piece investigates how a cricket powerhouse finds itself at a critical crossroads between tradition and progress.
January 09, 2025 Shan Masood's magnificent 145 and a record-breaking opening stand with Babar Azam highlighted Pakistan's valiant fight against South Africa in Cape Town. Despite their resilience, Pakistan fell short, reflecting on deeper cricketing issues.
January 05, 2025 An in-depth analysis of Virat Kohli's recent struggles in Test cricket, examining his technical changes, statistical decline since 2021, and the broader implications for his legacy as one of cricket's greatest batsmen. The article explores whether this is a temporary setback or signals the twilight of an extraordinary career.
January 05, 2025 Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post cartoonist Ann Telnaes resigns after her cartoon depicting media moguls, including Post owner Jeff Bezos, kneeling before Donald Trump was rejected, sparking debate about editorial independence and press freedom.