Claim: Nawaz Sharif broke down while addressing journalists in London following Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) decision to grant Imran Khan bail in the Toshakhana 2.0 case.
Fact: Nawaz Sharif did not cry during the interaction. Deepfake detection tools revealed significant manipulation in the video.
After the Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted bail to former Prime Minister Imran Khan in the Toshakhana 2.0 case, a video surfaced online, showing PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif crying while speaking to the media.
Toshakhana 2.0 Verdict
On 20 November, the Islamabad High Court granted bail to the PTI founder in the Toshakhana 2.0 case, according to The Express Tribune. “IHC’s Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb approved Khan’s bail plea, ordering the latter to submit surety bonds of Rs1 million each to secure the bail,” the report added.
According to Dawn, the judge also ordered Imran Khan to appear before the trial court after bail, warning that it could be revoked if he did not cooperate with the court during the trial. PTI members welcomed the decision, congratulating their founder and demanding his immediate release. However, PML-N members criticised the court and its decision “alleging that Imran was ‘still their favourite!’,” the report stated.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check reverse-searched the keyframes of the viral video and found the original video on TikTok, shared by Geo News’, UK-Europe Bureau Chief, Murtaza Ali Shah, on 15 November. The video, captioned, “Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif speaks to Pakistani media in London about the current issues #nawazsharif” shows Sharif speaking with reporters about the recent constitutional amendment and the economic situation. He praised the amendment, noting that while the parliament had previously enacted such changes, the courts at the time had undone them, which he believed was “not right.”
The PML-N leader further reflected on how much things had changed since he left Pakistan. Imran Khan’s tenure, according to Sharif, had led to significant setbacks, and the present government had to begin its work amid a dire economic situation.
The video, dated 15 November, predates the Toshakhana 2.0 verdict, which was announced on 20 November, meaning that the viral clip could not have shown Sharif’s reaction to the decision. Additionally, he is not seen crying in the original video. However, since the clip is brief, we examined additional footage from the same day for clarity.
In another video shared by Murtaza Ali Shah, from the PML-N leader’s same conversation, he can be observed reciting Ghalib’s poetry and saying that the situation with Khan is deeply unfortunate. No one should have to endure such circumstances, he adds.
Farid Qureshi, ARY News‘ London correspondent, also shared a video on TikTok from the same day. This video, filmed from a different angle, shows Sharif commenting on Khan’s performance during his premiership. He questions what Khan has done for the country that would make people leave their homes for him. He also asks, “What is he accusing others of?” and states that it is Imran Khan who has harmed democracy.
Sharif is not seen crying in either video, nor did we find any news reports or footage suggesting he cried while speaking to the press in this instance.
Additionally, we examined the video using Deepware Scanner, which scans and detects suspicious content to identify potential synthetic manipulation. A deepfake is a form of generative AI that alters real videos or audio to make it look like someone is saying or doing something they didn’t. Rather than serving a creative or practical purpose, they often focus on mimicking real-life appearances or actions, or changing existing media to mimic reality, which raises ethical concerns.
The results on Deepware Scanner, strongly suggested that the video may be a deepfake.
Relying on the Seferbekov model, the deepfake detection tool uses machine learning to analyse facial features, movements, and inconsistencies and assess if the video is manipulated. The Seferbekov model showed a 92% likelihood that the video is a deepfake.
Additionally, Ensemble analysis involves combining the results from multiple detection models to produce a more accurate and reliable outcome. Instead of relying on a single model, ensemble methods aggregate findings from various tools, each using different approaches to detect inconsistencies or manipulations in a video. With a 69% suspicion rating, the Ensemble analysis reinforced the possibility that the video in the claim was manipulated. These results, particularly the high confidence level of Seferbekov, also suggests that the video may be a deepfake.
Moreover, we noted that Sharif’s face in the video appears quite airbrushed with his natural facial lines missing, which is uncommon in authentic videos of him. His hand movements also seem stiff and unnatural when he touches his forehead. Since AI technology has not yet perfected the rendering of hands, his unnatural hand gestures further suggest that the video in the claim may be a deepfake or at least that it was manipulated to a great extent.
Virality
The video gained significant traction on Facebook receiving more than 100,000 likes and 36,000 shares.
It was shared here, here, here, and here on Facebook.
On Instagram, it was shared here.
Conclusion: The claim that Nawaz Sharif broke down during a conversation with the media after the Toshakhana 2.0 verdict is false. Deepfake detection tools and Sharif’s unnatural facial and hand movements in the viral video indicate that it is manipulated.
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Background image in cover photo: Pakistan Today
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