Claim: A video shows Pakistan Army personnel deployed in Peshawar following the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Fact: The footage was previously shared by a Syrian broadcaster in connection with clashes in Al-Hasakah, Syria. It does not show army deployment in Peshawar.
On 12 October 2026, a 36-second Instagram reel posted by Lahore Wale Ho purportedly showed Pakistan Army personnel deployed in Peshawar following the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The video shows several individuals running along a road at night, with vehicles parked nearby and flashing lights visible in the distance.
Text superimposed on the reel reads, “PESHAWAR UNDER HEAVY SECURITY AS ARMY DEPLOYED ACROSS KP AFTER EMERGENCY.” Although the accompanying caption states that the circulating footage has not been independently verified, the on-screen headline represents it as footage of army deployment in Peshawar.
Screenshot of a viral video circulating on Instagram.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check conducted reverse image searches using keyframes from the viral video. The searches led to matching footage shared on Instagram by Al Araby TV Syria (@alarabytvsy), a Syrian news broadcaster. Its post identified the scene as clashes in Al-Hasakah, a city in northeastern Syria.
A comparison of the viral video’s keyframes with images of the broadcaster’s reel shows the same white pickup truck, boundary wall and overhead electricity cables. The people and vehicles also appear in the same positions. These matching details establish that the Pakistani posts use the same footage.
Comparison of footage shared by Al Araby TV Syria (left) and the video falsely presented as showing Pakistan Army deployment in Peshawar (right).
In its Arabic caption, Al Araby TV Syria reported injuries following gunfire during confrontations between internal security forces and members of the Revolutionary Youth in Al-Hasakah. This account describes the incident as reported by the broadcaster; the images alone do not establish the identities of those involved or confirm the injuries.
The footage had circulated earlier in connection with clashes in Al-Hasakah, northeastern Syria. A report carrying the Syrian broadcaster’s account was published on Nabd on 9 October 2026, two days before emergency and governor’s rule were imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Other reports corroborate unrest in Al-Hasakah at that time. Syria TV reported heightened security following movements by the Revolutionary Youth. Al Araby Al Jadeed reported on 9 October that security forces had sent reinforcements following confrontations.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported demonstrations on 9 October, the deployment of security personnel and military vehicles, and the use of tear gas. A separate report by the observatory described confrontations near the Al-Sena’a and Al-Itfa’iyah roundabouts and reported injuries whose circumstances remained unclear. Anadolu Agency likewise reported an increased security presence following incidents of gunfire.
These reports provide context for the unrest, but do not independently authenticate the specific recording. The evidence linking this video to Syria is the visual match with the broadcaster’s reel and the earlier dated report. Soch Fact Check could not independently establish the precise street, identify the original videographer, or confirm the reported injuries.
What we can establish is that the footage does not show Pakistan Army personnel deployed in Peshawar following the emergency declaration in KP. This finding concerns the video’s location and context; the federal government’s separate authorisation of army deployment in KP is addressed above.
Emergency and political unrest in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
The imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on 11 October 2026 came amid escalating tensions between the federal government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which had governed the province under Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.
On 4 October, the PTI began a protest march, led by Afridi, to demand the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been imprisoned since 2023. The march proceeded through different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with plans to eventually reach Islamabad. On 10 October, Afridi addressed supporters in Mardan and rejected the possibility of emergency or governor’s rule in the province. Meanwhile, the federal government had warned that protesters would not be allowed to enter Islamabad.
On 11 October, President Asif Ali Zardari approved emergency and governor’s rule under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution, following recommendations from the federal cabinet. The government cited the deteriorating security situation and accused the PTI-led provincial administration of failing to adequately address militant violence. The PTI, however, rejected the decision as politically motivated and accused the federal government of attempting to suppress the opposition and undermine provincial autonomy.
According to Radio Pakistan, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar announced that the provincial government’s executive powers had been transferred to Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, who would administer the province with the assistance of an 11-member advisory council. The arrangement was initially announced for six months.
The federal government also authorised the deployment of Pakistan Army personnel in aid of civil power under Article 245 of the Constitution. According to the Interior Ministry’s notification, the deployment was intended to protect citizens, property, and government installations.
Shortly after the emergency was announced, the PTI reported that Afridi and other senior party leaders had been detained. On 12 October, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry confirmed that Afridi and several members of his cabinet had been taken into preventive custody on 11 October. A senior police official also confirmed that eight people, including PTI leader Junaid Akbar and provincial assembly speaker Babar Saleem Swati, had been detained.
Security was subsequently tightened across Peshawar. Dawn reported that shipping containers were placed near the railway station and on roads leading towards Khyber Bazaar and Shoba Bazaar. Police personnel were deployed at roadblocks, while residents experienced internet disruptions and mobile service suspensions.
Virality
The video circulated on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter).
On Instagram, one reel received approximately 115,000 views, 1,837 likes, and 184 reposts. Soch Fact Check also identified 17 Facebook posts sharing the footage, one of which received approximately 72,300 reactions, 3,700 comments, and 9,200 shares. On X, a post accumulated approximately 150,800 views.
All engagement figures were recorded on 12 October 2026.
Conclusion: The viral video does not show Pakistan Army personnel deployed in Peshawar following the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The footage had already circulated in connection with clashes in Al-Hasakah, Syria, on 9 October 2026, two days before the emergency declaration.
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