A viral video circulating on social media claims to show women in Bajaur protesting against a recent military operation conducted by Pakistani security forces. The video, widely shared by activists and even some journalists, depicts burqa-clad women marching down a narrow street, some carrying black flags. The accompanying captions assert that women have taken to the streets to demand peace amid alleged civilian casualties during the military crackdown.
However, iVerify Pakistan conducted a fact-check on the viral claim and found it to be misleading. Using reverse image search and visual analysis, the team traced the video back to a Facebook post dated November 23, 2021. The video, which carries the watermark of “Hasban Media,” was originally linked to a protest held in response to the killing of a political activist—not the recent military operation in Bajaur.
The current military operation, launched on July 29 across 16 areas of Bajaur, did spark genuine local protests, with many young people and political workers gathering at Shago Chowk to voice their grievances. However, the viral video in question is unrelated to these events. Despite claims made on social media and prominent platforms like X and YouTube, the footage does not reflect the ongoing situation, underscoring the need for careful content verification amid rising tensions.
