Claim: A video shows Field Marshal Asim Munir crying while delivering a speech.
Fact: The clip is fake.
A reel shared recently on Facebook shows the Field Marshal breaking down into tears.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check suspected the video is fake, mainly as it appeared to be tongue-in-cheek humour or spoof.
The video contained several indicators of a deepfake. It was zoomed in and filmed only from the front, whereas an actual incident would likely have been captured from multiple angles. The Field Marshal’s cheeks and forehead appear unnaturally smooth and airbrushed, while his eyes are heavily wrinkled. This is a common inconsistency in deepfake videos where different facial regions are incongruent. Additionally, other unrealistic features are evident for example, when he cries, his eyes remain closed but thick, visible tears flow out which look more graphic than real, and his upper teeth do not show when he opens his mouth. Overall his movements appear stiff and robotic, suggesting that the video is fake.
Visual inconsistencies in the clip
The audio in the video also appears manipulated. A loud news-bulletin sound can be heard playing in the background while the sound of him crying overlapped unnaturally. In normal broadcast recordings, the background audio does not overpower or drown out the actual content of the speech. This suggests that two separate audios were likely overlaid onto the clip.
To further investigate if the video was altered, we ran it through Deepware Scanner, an AI-based tool that detects manipulated or synthetic media, particularly deepfakes. It uses multiple detection models to analyse visual and audio cues that may indicate tampering. The results were as follows:
Deepware Scanner results
Out of the four models, two indicated a likelihood of tampering. The Seferbekov model examines frame-level anomalies, especially in facial texture, lighting, and blending artifacts. This model rated the clip as 67% suspicious, indicating the video is likely a deepfake.
The Ensemble model combines the outputs of multiple models to generate a more balanced and robust prediction. The idea is to reduce false positives and increase overall reliability. It gave a 51% suspicious rating, reinforcing that it contains elements of deepfake.
Soch Fact Check ran the video through Hive Moderation and Deep Fake-o-Meter as well but results were inconclusive. However, we were able to conclude the clip is AI-generated because of visual inconsistencies mentioned above.
Virality
The video gained significant traction on Facebook receiving over 14,000 likes and 3,000 shares. It was shared here (archive).
On X, the post (archive) received 695 views.
On TikTok, it received over 200 likes and 60 shares. It was shared here (archive).
Conclusion: The viral clip showing Field Marshal Asim Munir crying is fake.
–
Background image in cover photo: ISPR/File
To appeal against our fact-check, please send an email to appeals@sochfactcheck.com