Claim: An image claims to show protesters in Rawalakot, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, breaking into an ATM machine and attempting to steal cash.
Fact: The image appears to be AI-generated.
On 11 June 2026, X user Rimland Intelligence posted an image depicting an alleged break-in at an ATM machine in Rawalakot during the protests. It was shared with the following caption:
“AAC goons in Rawalakot broke into an ATM machine.
AAC goons in Rawalakot broke into an ATM machine and attempted to steal cash. What is really going on under the cover of this so-called protest?”
Screenshot from X post
Clashes in Pakistan-administered Kashmir
Clashes between police and supporters of a recently proscribed civil society group, the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), killed at least seven people and injured 70 others in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on 7 June.
Supporters of the JAAC had gathered outside “the hospital morgue where the body of another group member was taken after his death in firing by police,” Reuters reported. Officials accused the protesters gathered outside the hospital of shooting at the police, saying that law-enforcement responded and dispersed the crowd, according to reports. On the other hand, JAAC protesters maintained that they were holding a peaceful sit-in.
The JAAC, which has long demanded political and economic rights, was recently outlawed by the local administration. The group has been demanding the abolition of 12 legislative seats reserved for refugees from Indian-administered Kashmir living in Pakistan, saying the refugees have disproportionate influence.
On 7 June, the Supreme Court of Pakistan-administered Kashmir ruled that the 12 reserve seats were constitutionally protected and could only be abolished through a constitutional amendment. The ruling came ahead of a major protest planned by the JAAC for 9 June.
As of 20 June 2026, it is reported that Muzaffarabad has seen some signs of normality come back to the city. Some essential shops have opened, however the suspension of internet services, banking operations and fuel shortages still remains an issue for the residents, according to Dawn’s report.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check initially reverse-image searched the X post to check its authenticity and find the original source of the image but nothing was found.
We then reviewed the image for any visual inconsistencies indicating it was AI-generated. The features of one of the men vandalising the ATM are noticeably distorted and blurry. Moreover, his hair texture and head contour seem inconsistent.
Zoomed-in image of the man
Screenshot from X post
The Meezan Bank logo at the top-left corner, when zoomed-in, does not read “Meezan.” AI image generators often struggle to reproduce text accurately, treating some letters as just patterns rather than meaningful text. As seen in the image being fact-checked, the bank’s logo contains mangled text and does not match Meezan Bank’s logo’s original color.
Magnified original Meezan Bank logo (left) and fake image of the logo on top left corner
Secondly, Meezan Bank ATMs are affiliated with the 1Link network, and that logo seems to be missing in this image. Moreover, the logo “NATO OTAN” is not affiliated with Meezan. In fact, this logo belongs to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which is an international military alliance established between North America and European countries in 1949 to ensure their security and stability after the Second World War. The NATO logo’s presence suggests that the photo is fake, and it displays tell-tale signs of AI-generated visuals.
Zoomed-in image of logos
Results from AI Detection Tools
To verify if the picture is AI-generated, Soch Fact Check ran the image through a tool designed by OpenAI to check if it was created using the American artificial intelligence company’s tools.
The results confirmed that a SynthID watermark originating from OpenAI was found in the image, proving that the picture has been manipulated or has been modified using this artificial intelligence tool.
OpenAI identified the presence of a SynthID watermark in the image
Furthermore, for further supporting evidence we used Hive Moderation as the next AI detection scanner, which involves multiple tools like visual, audio and text moderation. It checks if an image or text was created by AI.
We ran the image through Hive Moderation’s AI-Generated Content Detection tool, used specifically for photos.The tool analyzes visual patterns, textures, lighting, and facial features amongst other characteristics and provides a probable source of the image.
The overall result was 58.5% for the likelihood of AI-generation. Within the breakdown of “Generation Sources”, we see that it was 41.4% likely generated using Flux, an AI generator for images, videos, and music. Hence, results from Hive Moderation also suggest that this image is AI-generated.
Results determined from Hive Moderation
Based on the results found from AI-generation tools and Soch Fact Check’s independent analysis, we can conclude that the image is fake, and likely AI-generated.
Virality
The image posted on X on 11 June 2026 got 3,253 views.
The image was shared on Facebook with the most traction on a post by a page called ‘Eagle Eye Pakistan’ that garnered 915 likes, 445 comments, and 371 shares.
Conclusion: A viral image of protesters breaking into an ATM machine in Rawalakot, Azad Jammu and Kashmir appears to be AI-generated.
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