Claim: Aseefa Bhutto Zardari said that Imran Khan’s life is in danger, and he should be provided with proper medical care.
Fact: Aseefa Bhutto Zardari did not say Imran Khan’s life is in danger, nor did she say that medical care should be provided to Khan.
On 28 November 2024, a Facebook post claimed that Aseefa Bhutto had voiced her support for former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The post came with the following caption in Urdu:
“:آصفہ بھٹونے عمران خان کے حق کیلئے آواز اٹھادی”
The caption also displays a link to an article by AZAAD Urdu with the following title in Urdu:
“بانی پی ٹی آئی کی زندگی کو درپیش موجودہ خطرات کو سنجیدہ لینا چا ہیے :آصفہ بھٹو”
This translates to the following in English:
“The dangers posed to the life of PTI’s founder should be taken seriously: Aseefa Bhutto.”
Fact or Fiction?
Did Aseefa Bhutto say Imran Khan’s life was in danger?
The second paragraph of the article mentions that this statement was made by Bhutto in an interview with the foreign media.
Searching for “Aseefa Bhutto interview” on Google showed a recent interview of Bhutto by Al Arabiya News’ Hadley Gamble at the Global Women’s Forum held from 26–27 November 2024 in Dubai. The video is titled “Pakistan’s First Lady Discusses Women’s Leadership and Treatment Of Former PM Imran Khan”.
At 4:31 in the video, Gamble asked Bhutto:
“Imran Khan says he’s under threat for his life. How credible, in your mind, are those threats?”
To this Bhutto replied saying:
“I think that anyone who says that their life is in danger is a threat that we need to take seriously.”
However, the article in AZAAD Urdu reframed this statement by Bhutto, which changed its meaning. The article’s opening line reads:
“رکن قومی اسمبلی آصفہ بھٹو زرداری نے کہا ہے کہ بانی پی ٹی آئی کی زندگی کو خطرات ہیں”
According to Google Translate, this reads as follows in English:
“Member National Assembly Aseefa Bhutto Zardari has said that there are threats to the life of founder [of] PTI”
However, as quoted above, Bhutto does not make this statement.
Did Aseefa Bhutto say Imran Khan should receive proper medical care?
The article also stated that Bhutto said Khan should receive proper medical care, as shown below:
“ان [عمران خان] کو علاج کے لئے مکمل منصفانہ اور جائز سہولتیں ملنی چاہئیں۔”
According to Google Translate, this reads as follows in English:
“He [Imran Khan] should get full, fair and just facilities for treatment.”
However, in the interview, medical care for Khan is not mentioned at all. In fact, Khan is only talked about for a short duration between 4:31–5:24. In this timeframe, Bhutto does not say that medical treatment, or “علاج” as stated by the article, should be provided for Khan.
If anything, after the statement that anyone claiming to be in danger should be taken seriously, Bhutto says the following at 4:47:
“It is heartening to see that all the avenues are open to him [Imran Khan]. For example, all the courts are there for him to fight his cases.”
At 4:55, she states:
“All his [Imran Khan’s] needs in jail, whether it be for his newspapers or gym equipment, are being met.”
Hence, the claim that Bhutto said that Khan should be given proper medical provisions in jail is not true.
Virality
On YouTube, this claim can be found here, here, and here.
On Facebook, this claim can be found here and here.
On X, this claim can be found here, here, and here.
On TikTok, this claim was found here and here.
Conclusion: Aseefa Bhutto Zardari did not say Imran Khan’s life was in danger, and she did not say that he should be given proper medical provisions in jail. The statements she provided in her interview have been misquoted.
—
Background image in cover photo: Al Arabiya News
To appeal against our fact-check, please send an email to appeals@sochfactcheck.com