Claim: A video is being shared on Facebook with a caption that states it depicts Geo News anchor Sana Mirza crying during a live TV segment in the aftermath of Imran Khan’s removal from office as “her heart could not allow her to lie after seeing people’s love for Imran Khan.”
Fact: The caption of the video is false. The video clip is not relevant to Imran Khan’s ouster but is in fact from a 2014 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rally, where Sana Mirza was harassed by PTI activists while reporting on the event.
On 15 April 2022, Facebook user Rafaqat Ali LeeSarang (Ustaad Jee) posted a now-deleted video with the caption, “She is the anchor of Geo News. Her heart could not allow her to lie after seeing people’s love for Imran Khan. Reporting can not be done by force. Homeland comes first before job.” The 30-second video clip shows Geo News anchor Sana Mizari crying while reporting on what appears to be a PTI rally.
Former PM Imran Khan was ousted through a no-confidence motion on 9 April 2022. After his removal, a number of misleading claims began circulating on social media. Soch Fact Check previously debunked stories about a Turkish actor allegedly tweeting in support of Khan and a message about the political situation attributed to Fatima Bhutto.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check decided to investigate the video after it was flagged by multiple users on Facebook. A few comments under the video also suggested that it is an old video being shared with a false claim.
A Google search of the keyword, “Geo News anchor Sania Mizra crying”, turned up a news report by DAWN in which the original incident was reported. According to the DAWN report, PTI activists misbehaved with Geo News staff t during a rally organized by the party near the Punjab Assembly in December 2014.
According to the report, workers threw a plastic bottle at Sana Mirza and chanted “Go Geo Go”. They also made indecent gestures to Mirza, making her cry during live coverage of the rally. The complete 1-minute long video of the incident is available here.
The deleted video with the false caption received 3.6 million views, 1,41,000 likes, and 8,800 comments between 15 and 20 April 2022.
The video was also shared here, here, here, and here with the same misleading claim.
Conclusion: The video of Geo News anchor Sana Mirza crying is not recent or connected to Imran Khan’s ouster. The video is in fact from 2014, when Mirza was by PTI activists during a rally organized by the party. The video is now being reshared with a false caption.