Claim: Asif Zardari has announced support for Imran Khan, saying Shehbaz Sharif cannot lead Pakistan.
Fact: Zardari has not announced support for Khan, nor has he said Sharif cannot lead Pakistan; the press conference shown in the video is actually from 2019. Another clip with the same caption but a different press conference is actually from 2022.
On 24 May 2023, Facebook page ‘Entertainment Videos’ posted a live video (archive) showing the former president and the co-chairperson of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Asif Ali Zardari, addressing a press conference.
The video — which had over 520,000 views, 600 comments, and 500 shares as of writing time — was captioned as follows:
“آصف زرداری نے عمران خان کی حمایت کردی،شہباز شریف سے ملک سنھبالا نہیں جارہا،آصف ذاردری کا تحلکہ انگیز انڑویو 23.5.2023
[Asif Zardari announces support for Imran Khan, Shehbaz Sharif is unable to lead the country, Asif Zardari’s controversial comments]”
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check reverse-searched keyframes from the video and found that it is not recent but, in fact, from 20 February 2019. It was posted by Samaa TV on YouTube here and the PPP’s official, verified Facebook page here, here, here, and here.
We also found another video (archive) with the same caption — sans the date — posted by Facebook page ‘Op trends2’ on 18 April 2023. It has more than 8,900 views, 40 comments, and 100 shares.
Soch Fact Check also reverse-searched keyframes from this clip and found that this is not recent but, in fact, from 11 May 2022. It was posted by Samaa TV on YouTube here and the PPP’s verified Facebook page here and here.
Moreover, Zardari has made no such comments recently since there are no verifiable news reports available on the same.
Virality
Soch Fact Check found the video posted here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. The claim was also shared here and here on Twitter.
Conclusion: Zardari has not announced support for Khan nor has he said Sharif cannot lead Pakistan; the press conference shown in the video is actually from 2019. Another clip with the same caption but a different press conference is actually from 2022.
Background image in cover photo: @Bilawalhouse & @ImranKhanOfficial
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