Multiple users publications on social media platforms on Wednesday shared a video, claiming that showed women in Bajaur protesting against the recent military operation in the district. However, the video is old from a 2021 protest for the murder of a party activist.
The Security Forces imposed a three -day curfew in 16 places in the district on July 29 and began an operation against militants in the areas.
Dozens of people, mostly youth and political activists, gathered at Shago Village Chowk to protest the operation. They alleged that several innocent people were killed and injured during an exchange of fire between security forces and terrorists.
On July 30, a Pakhtun rights activist published a video about X that showed a multitude of women dressed in Burka walking through a alley with some with black flags.
The legend of the position said: “Women Pashtun have also left their homes, asking for peace in response to the operation of Bajaur. The manifestation of protest has begun. Throughout the Pashtun region, youth, the elderly, women and children sing slogans for peace in Pashto, stirring white chales and expressing their desire for a peaceful life.
The publication obtained more than 30,000 views.
The Pakistaní-Sijet Singh journalist also shared the video in X, subtitled: “Women took to the streets against the operation of Baja.”
Its publication obtained 143,700 views.
The same footage, accompanied by the same statement, went up to YouTube, where he accumulated 40,000 views.
Other actions of the same statement can be found here, here, here, here, here and here.
A verification of facts began to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and public interest in the ongoing military operation in Bajaur that has generated anger and local criticism.
Several users in the video sections attributed the clip to a protest in Afghanistan.
However, an inverse image search in multiple layers of the video showed a Facebook post dated November 23, 2021, with the water brand of water from Hasban average.
The user, who claimed to work in said media agency, subtitled the video: “In Bajaur, a sitting continues for the second consecutive day, demanding the arrest of those responsible for the murder of Muhammad Ilyas Shaheed, who was killed yesterday by unidentified assailants. The women of the area have also joined the protest, with black flags and black bands in their bosses.
A keyword search in Urdu for terms such as “Bajaur”, “Muhammad Ilyas Shaheed” and “Women” led to multiple local news reports about the alleged incident.
According to a report of November 23, 2021 of The News InternationalMuhammad Ilyas Shaheed was a local activist of Jamiat Ulema-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), who was shot dead by assailants not identified on November 22, 2021.
Points of sale as TV Mashriq and Swat news He had also covered later protests, who saw the participation of local women.
A video of the protest on Facebook was also shared, dated November 23, 2021, with a woman who talks to the media agency Khyber news In Pashto.
The legend of the post said: “In Bajaur, local women joined a seated with black flags and black bands in the head, demanding the arrest of those who killed Muhammad Ilyas Shaheed at the hands of unidentified assailants. Note: This appeal comes from the wife of Qari Muhammad Ilyas Shaheed.”
According Sunrise The correspondent Zahid Imdad, the video presented the wife of Qari Muhammad Ilyas, who declared that her husband, a member of the Levones force, had repeatedly requested protection of local authorities, specifically the commissioner assistant and attached commissioner, for six months before his murder, as she had received threats.
He expressed frustration for what he claimed that officials delayed tactics and said that, unless the murderers were responsible, the protest would continue and expand to Islamabad and Karachi.
Despite her pain, she said she was proud of her husband’s martyrdom, but emphasized that the authorities had not acted despite knowing that her life was in danger.
A comparison with the viral clip revealed that the child in both videos was the same, indicating that the footage was of the same protest.
Therefore, the verification of facts determined that the claim that a viral video shows women who protest the recent military operation in Bajaur is misleading. The video is 2021 and shows women in Bajaur to protest the murder of a local politician.
This fact verification was originally published by Iverify Pakistan, a CEJ-IBA and UNDP project.
