Old video of Pakistan rally for Imran Khan recirculates after supporters demand his release

Thousands of supporters of Pakistan's former leader Imran Khan defied roadblocks to gather in a suburb of the capital Islamabad in September 2024, however, a video circulating on social media following the rally dates back to when he was still prime minister. AFP journalists said no massive demonstration was held for Khan at the location seen in the footage on the day it was posted online.

The video showing a massive crowd has been viewed more than one million times since it was shared on Facebook on September 8, 2024.

Its Urdu-language caption read: "Sea of people in Islamabad."

The post circulated the same day Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party led its largest demonstration in Islamabad since he was jailed last year on several charges, some still before the courts (archived link).

Thousands of Khan's supporters gathered in the capital's Sangjani area despite authorities' attempts to block the protesters' main routes into the capital.

The video was also shared alongside a similar false claim on Facebook here and here; and on social media site X here and here.

However, a reverse image search of keyframes using Google Lens found it corresponded to footage of a rally published by the PTI on March 27, 2022 (archived link).

At the time, then-premier Khan's supporters gathered to rally as he faced a no-confidence vote in parliament (archived link).

Below is a screenshot comparison of the falsely shared video (left) and the PTI video (right) with similar elements highlighted by AFP:

The video's caption read: "Parade Ground right now, with still different rallies to arrive!"

"Parade Ground" refers to the area in Islamabad's Shakarparian hills where Pakistan's military parade is held annually (archived link).

A picture of rallyists flying PTI flags was geotagged at the Shakarparian Parade Ground on Google Maps in March 2022 (archived link).

The site is restricted to the public throughout the year and AFP reporters said no rallies were held there on September 8, 2024 -- the day the false posts circulated online.

Khan was ousted in 2022 after falling out with the military establishment. He has been in jail since August 2023 on charges he insists have been designed to prevent him from returning to office.

AFP has repeatedly debunked misinformation about Khan.