Claim: A viral image and a video show Imran Khan with a beard.
Fact: The visuals are digitally altered.
TikTok user @journalist_Mudasir shared a video that shows former Prime Minister Imran Khan with a beard. A still image from this video is also being shared online widely.
Imran Khan granted bail in 9 May cases
On 21 August 2025, the Supreme Court of Pakistan accepted Imran Khan’s bail pleas in eight cases linked to the 9 May 2023 riots. Earlier, his bail was rejected by an anti-terrorism court in November 2024 and by the Lahore High Court in June 2025, prompting him to approach the apex court. A three-member bench led by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi granted the relief after hearing arguments from both sides. However, Khan remains imprisoned at Adiala Jail due to a conviction in the £190 million graft case and faces other pending trials related to the 9 May riots.
Against this backdrop, several users began circulating the claim that Khan had been released from jail, which was debunked by Soch Fact Check. The viral claim being fact-checked also seems to have originated within this context.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check reverse-searched the still image and found that a similar image, showing Imran Khan without a beard, was shared as early as 23 May 2023 by @PTIofficial on X. The post was captioned: “PTI Chairman @ImranKhanPTI
earlier today in ATC, Islamabad: #PakistanDemandsElection”
The same image was also carried by a Geo News article titled “NAB grills Imran Khan in £190m settlement case” shared on 23 May 2023.
A comparison of the image with the viral clip and still-image revealed several similarities. They suggest that the image was digitally altered, likely using AI tools, and was then used to create the viral clip.
In the original photo, Khan is clean-shaven and dressed in a white shalwar kameez and a blue waistcoat – identical to his outfit in the viral video. The two policemen in his background, one bearded and the other clean-shaven, also match those visible in the video being fact-checked.
At multiple points, the beard appears to blend into Khan’s waistcoat rather than resting naturally on his face, which is a common flaw in AI-generated edits. His eyes also seem mostly closed or reduced to thin slits, lacking the natural blinking and detail expected in genuine footage of him.
The viral clip’s quality is also poor and the colours are overly-saturated, which suggests post-processing or rendering. Post-processing refers to editing done after a video is created, such as adjusting colours or adding effects, while rendering is the process of generating a final output from edited or computer-generated visuals. It indicates that the video is not original footage of Khan and the visuals are heavily tampered with.
Moreover, the video lacks authentic audio as it is overlaid with a song, further raising doubts about its authenticity.
Finally, Soch Fact Check did not find any credible news reports of Khan’s recent appearances. If he had recently appeared in court or in front of the media, the development would be reported widely by major news outlets.
Based on the absence of authentic footage and any news reports of Khan’s recent media appearance, Soch Fact Check concludes the viral clip is not authentic. An image of Khan from 2023 was likely altered using AI tools.
Virality
The claim was shared here, here, here, and here on Facebook. Archived here, here, here, and here.
On Instagram, it was shared here, here, and here. Archived here, here, and here.
On TikTok, it was shared here (archive) and here (archive)
Conclusion: Viral visuals showing Imran Khan with a beard are digitally altered.
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Background image in cover photo: Geo.Tv
To appeal against our fact-check, please send an email to appeals@sochfactcheck.com