Claim: The Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement is training Pashtun youth to fight security forces.
Fact: Supporters and volunteers were warming up and performing exercises to prepare for crowd safety ahead of the Pashtun National Jirga.
On 8 October, X user @Alikhanyzai shared a video, writing, “پی ٹی ایم پختون جوانوں کو باقاعدہ ٹرینگ دے رہے ہیں ، انہیں سیکورٹی فورسز کیساتھ لڑنے تیار کیا جارہا ہے ، منظور محسودکےعلاقے سے آج سے 20 سال پہلے شریعت کے نام پر پختونوں کو دھوکہ دیا گیااور پورے صوبے کے امن کو تباہ کیا گیااب اس علاقے کے جوانوں کو لسان کے نام پر دھوکہ دیا جارہا ہے”
[Translated from Urdu: PTM is giving regular training to Pakhtun youths, they are being prepared to fight with security forces, Pakhtuns were cheated in the name of Sharia 20 years ago from the Manzoor Mehsud area and the peace of the entire province was destroyed. Now the youth of this area is being cheated in the name of language.]
Pashtun Qaumi Jirga
According to The News, the Pashtun Qaumi Jirga formally began on 12 October with high hopes of finding solutions to the long-standing issues of peace, security, and justice in the conflict-ravaged region. Organised by the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), the first day was primarily focused on arranging facilities for attendees, rather than speeches or other activities, the report added.
According to the same report, political figures from various parties, including Aimal Wali Khan, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, and Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, among others, were in attendance on the second day of the jirga. The report further added that representatives from 20 political parties had attended, according to the organisers. The day’s highlight was a key address by PTM leader Manzoor Pashteen.
Voicepk.net reported that a 22-point declaration was announced late Sunday night by Pashteen, following the conclusion of the three-day Pashtun Qaumi Jirga. In response to the demands outlined in the declaration, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur pledged that his government would do its utmost to address provincial issues within the framework of the Constitution but would present all matters related to the Federation to the Center.
Fact or Fiction?
We reviewed the TikTok account from which the video originated. On 7 October, two versions of the video were posted: one with a caption in Pashto caption reading, “د پشتون قامي عدالت / جرګه د
سیکیورتی اپدیتس
ځوانان چمتو دی”
[Translated from Pashto: Pashtun National Court/Jirga Security Updates – The youth is ready]
A shorter version of the footage was also shared without any caption or text, which is now circulating with the claim in question.
Soch Fact Check then contacted attendees of the jirga for further investigation. Moniza Kakar, a lawyer and human rights defender, who was present at the event, stated, “This video shows a fun activity by the security team at the jirga, where over a million people were expected to attend. The team was trained for security, not to engage in fights, as they were responsible for the safety of the crowd. They decided to make a fun activity out of it.” She added that the video does not show “a preparation for a confrontation with anyone. They were all friends. They had been there for many days and after experiencing shelling, they did this as a lighthearted activity to lift their spirits.”
The lawyer emphasised that, “PTM’s struggle is grounded in the principle of non-violence. Their demands remain constitutional, so resorting to violence would be against PTM’s philosophy and mission.”
A journalist who covered the event explained that the activity was intended to instil order and discipline among PTM volunteers, who were tasked with crowd safety. He clarified, “There wasn’t “training” or anything else. During the three days, these supporters/volunteers were deployed to guard the Jirga place, leaders and anyone visiting the site.”
Ibrahim Kamil, PTM’s Provincial Core Committee member, informed Soch Fact Check that the young men in the video were members on duty during the Pashtun Qaumi Jirga. He added, “There was no proper structure in it but members were made aware of their responsibilities.”
Virality
The claim was shared here, here, here, here, and here on X. Archived here, here, here, here, and here.
On Facebook, it was shared here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Conclusion: The claim that a video shows PTM training the youth for combat is false. The video actually shows activities carried out to train volunteers for crowd safety at the Pashtun Qaumi Jirga.
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Background image in cover photo: The News
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