Claim: The title of a Facebook video claims that two biological siblings in Pakistan married each other.
Fact: The married couple in the video are not biological siblings. They were born to different parents; they do not have the same father or mother, nor are they related to each other.
On 29 July 2022, Facebook page ‘Urdu Times UK’ posted a video claiming to show a married couple who are also siblings. The almost six-minute-long clip is titled, “Pakistan may Behan Bhai ny apas may Shadi kr li | Urdu Times UK.”
The caption of the video initially read:
“Pakistan may Behan Bhai ny apas may Shadi kr li | Urdu Times UK
کیا شادی کرنے والے یہ بہن بھائی ہیں؟ [Are these two who married each other brother and sister?]
Pakistan me is Tara Behan Bhai Shadi kr skte he? | Urdu Times UK”
The caption has now been edited to say:
“سوتیلے بہن بھائیوں کی محبت کی شادی؟
Soteele bahen Bhai ki Love Marriage?
[A love marriage between half siblings?]
0345 4044964 help him
| Urdu Times UK
#lovemarriage #UrduTimesUK #UrduTimes”
Fact or Fiction?
The five minutes and 32 seconds long clip shows a reporter interviewing the married couple and includes a voiceover narration filling in the gaps.
The man appears to have a physical disability that restricts his movement.
At the beginning of the video, the narrator warns viewers that this story may cause goosebumps and make one hang their head in shame. The narrator states that the couple have been married for four years and have two daughters. The interviewer then asks the couple a number of questions about their situation, such as, “How did you decide to marry each other?” “How do you both bear household expenses?” and “Did your friends taunt you?”
The man clarifies that he and his wife are born to different parents, meaning they are not related by blood, nor do they have the same father or mother. He acknowledges that they are step-siblings and explains how her former in-laws, as well as friends and neighbours, made inappropriate comments about the two of them. He also mentions that he has a stall selling clothing items to earn his livelihood.
The woman tells the interviewer that her father disowned her after she married her current husband.
Towards the end of the clip, the narrator mentions how “handicapped” people are ridiculed, women’s “characters are assassinated”, and that the society’s behaviour towards such people is why this story may cause goosebumps and make one hang their head in shame.
The video’s current title and previous caption are misleading as they lead viewers to believe the husband and wife are biological siblings when they are, in fact, step-siblings who do not share a biological parent.
Virality
Soch Fact Check conducted a CrowdTangle analysis for the 30-day period from 5 July to 4 August 2022 using the following search terms:
- “Pakistan may Behan Bhai ny apas may Shadi kr li”
- “Pakistan me is Tara Behan Bhai Shadi kr skte he”
The search terms turned up two Facebook posts that gained 81,138 interactions and 13 Facebook posts that gained 81,128 interactions, respectively.
The video was also shared here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Conclusion: The couple are not biological siblings. They were born to different sets of parents; neither is related to the other nor do they have the same father or mother.