Claim: A video shows Pakistanis welcomed with “Pakistan Zindabad!” chants in Saudi Arabia after both countries signed a defence agreement on 17 September.
Fact: The clip is old and unrelated to the signing of the defence pact.
On 18 September, Shama Junjejo posted a video (archive) that apparently showed officers at an airport in Saudi Arabia welcoming Pakistani travellers with slogans of “Pakistan Zindabad!”
The caption of the post reads: “The Sharifs are masters at doing business, this time sealing a historic Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia and opening doors across the Middle East is a masterstroke. Just look at the Arab officers welcoming Pakistanis with chants of Pakistan Zindabad!”
The clip shows a few men, who seem to be a part of the airport staff, chanting, “Pakistan zindabad!”, which translates to “long live Pakistan!”
The claim surfaced after Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defence pact on 17 September that considers an attack on either country as an act of aggression against both. The X post suggests that the incident shown in the video took place after the two countries signed the pact.
Junejo has been in the news recently, following her controversial inclusion in Pakistan’s delegation to the United Nations.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check reverse-searched keyframes from the video and found that it is old and unrelated to the defence pact.
On 3 June, the same clip was shared on Reddit, with the title “Pakistan honored”, which confirms that the video is unrelated to the signing of the defence pact on 17 September.
The same video (archive) was posted on TikTok earlier on 30 May.
This video was captured at Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina, Saudi Arabia, as evidenced by the name of the airport inscribed on the walls [see screenshot from the video below]. However, the fact that it appeared as early as May 2025 confirms that it is not linked to the recent signing of the defence agreement.
Virality
The X post garnered 152,900 views and was liked 2,200 times.
It also appeared on X here (archive).
On Instagram here and here. ARY News’ Instagram account also shared this video on 18 September here.
Conclusion: The video of Saudi airport officers cheering for Pakistan predates the recent signing of the defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and is unrelated to it.
Background image in cover photo: Al Arabiya
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