Social media accounts, reportedly linked to Afghan and Indian propaganda networks, are circulating a video claiming that a female tourist in Pakistan was tortured, assaulted and forcibly had her hair cut by personnel of the Pakistan Army.
The footage is being presented as evidence of a recent incident in Pakistan, with allegations aimed at maligning the Pakistan Army and Pakistani security forces.
Fact Check Findings
A fact check of the circulating footage establishes that the video has been misrepresented and falsely linked to Pakistan.
Wrong Location: The footage does not originate from Pakistan. It is old footage from Uzbekistan.
Misleading Attribution: The same video was previously circulated with false claims that the incident had taken place in Arnavutköy, Türkiye.
Police Investigation: An investigation by Istanbul Police established that the footage had been wrongly attributed to an incident in Türkiye and actually originated in Uzbekistan.
No Link To Pakistan: There is no established connection between the footage and Pakistan, the Pakistan Army or Pakistani security forces.
False Allegations: Claims that Pakistan Army personnel tortured, assaulted or forcibly cut the hair of a female tourist are unsupported by the actual origin and context of the footage.
Propaganda Tactics Exposed
The circulation of old and unrelated footage with fabricated geographical attribution is a common disinformation tactic. By presenting footage from another country as a recent incident in Pakistan, propaganda accounts seek to manufacture outrage, distort facts and damage the credibility of Pakistani security institutions.
The deliberate removal of the original context and the addition of false allegations are intended to make misleading content appear authentic and credible.
Fact Check Conclusion
The viral video is NOT from Pakistan and has NO established connection to the Pakistan Army.
The footage originates from Uzbekistan and was previously subjected to false attribution in Türkiye, as established by an Istanbul Police investigation.
The allegations being circulated alongside the video are misleading and fabricated. The footage is being deliberately taken out of context and presented as a recent incident in Pakistan to spread disinformation and malign Pakistani security forces.
