Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
Ever since the alleged assassination attempt on the Ex-Pakistan Prime Minister and PTI Chief Imran Khan on Thursday, social media platforms have been besieged with visuals from the incident. One such photograph showing Khan, apparently with a head injury, being carried by his supporters is being widely shared online, linking the image to the recent attack. Newschecker found that the image was old and unrelated to yesterday’s firing incident in Wazirabad.
Facebook is inundated with this photograph of a wounded Imran Khan.
Links to such Facebook posts can be found here, here, here, here, here and here.
The picture is going viral on Twitter as well.
Archived versions to such tweets can be seen here, here, here and here.
Khan, who was ousted from the Pakistani Prime Minister office in April this year following a parliamentary vote of no confidence, was shot in his leg during an anti-government rally in Wazirabad on Thursday. He was rushed to the hospital, and is said to be stable. PTI spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry termed it a “clear assassination attempt”. One of Khan’s supporters died, while several others sustained injuries in the firing incident. The rally was a part of Khan’s “Long March” to Islamabad, which kicked off from Lahore on October 28, with a demand for snap elections.
Also Read: Viral Image Claiming To Show Imran Khan At Hospital Is 8 Years Old
Fact Check/Verification
A Google reverse image search on the viral photograph showing Imran Khan with a forehead injury yielded a Daily Mail report, dated May 7, 2013, titled ‘Cricket legend Khan in serious condition after plummeting from stage at political rally and hitting his head.’
Displaying the viral photograph, the report stated that former cricket star Imran Khan was injured after falling 15 feet off a stage at a political rally in Pakistan.Khan fell at least 5 metres – 15 feet – off what appeared to be a makeshift elevator raising him up to the stage. It added, “local TV footage showed supporters carrying Khan away from the rally. His face was bloody and he appeared unconscious.”
Further, a keyword search for “Imran Khan,” “injured” & “fell from stage” led us to multiple news reports from May 2013 carrying the viral photograph of the former Pakistani Prime Minister. These reports also elaborated on the accident from a campaign rally in Lahore which left the PTI chief wounded. Such reports can be seen here, here and here.
News major Al Jazeera English uploaded a video report on YouTube, dated May 7, 2013, showing visuals of Imran Khan toppling from a makeshift stage during an election rally in Lahore. It further shows an injured Khan being carried to the hospital by his supporters, as seen in the viral photograph.
Notably, the former cricketer was discharged from the hospital two weeks after the incident.
We could thus conclude that the viral photograph of Imran Khan is actually from an accident that occurred in May 2013, and does not show visuals after the recent alleged assassination attempt.
Same Visuals Viral In 2018 Amid Imran Khan Death Hoax
The visuals from the 2013 incident had earlier gone viral in June 2018 falsely claiming to show Imran Khan “shot dead.” The same image was also seen in one of the videos that went viral in 2018, claiming to show Imran Khan assassinated.
Links to such posts can be seen here, here and here.
Conclusion
Viral posts claiming to show Imran Khan with a head injury following the recent alleged assassination attempt on the former Pakistani Prime Minister are false.
Result: False
Sources
Report By Daily Mail, Dated May 7, 2013
YouTube Video By Al Jazeera, Dated May 7, 2013
If you would like us to fact-check a claim, give feedback, or lodge a complaint, WhatsApp us at 9999499044 or email us at checkthis@newschecker.in. You can also visit the Contact Us page and fill out the form.
Authors
Vasudha noticed the growing problem of mis/disinformation online after studying New Media at ACJ in Chennai and became interested in separating facts from fiction. She is interested in learning how global issues affect individuals on a micro level. Before joining Newschecker’s English team, she was working with Latestly.
