Claim: Imran Khan has written an apology letter to the Pakistan Armed Forces, requesting a reduction in sentences for all those arrested after the 9 May protests and riots. In this letter, he also promised that his party workers would never take the law in their hands again.
Fact: Imran Khan’s lawyer, Intazar Hussain Panjutha, confirmed that this letter is fake.
On 21 September 2023, an image of a letter was circulated on WhatsApp, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook, claiming to be an apology letter written and signed by Imran Khan. The translated version of its script is written below:
“Apology Letter
My heart is depressed after hearing of the party leader Ibaad Farooq’s innocent son. I share the family’s sorrow equally, I pray that Allah gives them patience and strength. Ever since the 9 May incident, several senior party leaders and PTI workers have been arrested and are in jail. I believe this incident should not have happened but unfortunately, it did happen. As the party chairman, I apologise to the Pakistan Army and the entire nation and I request the Chief of Army Staff to reduce sentences for all the workers who have been arrested after 9 May and I promise that in future my party workers will never take the law into their own hands.”
The apology letter allegedly written by Imran Khan
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check reached out to Intazar Hussain Panjutha from Imran Khan’s legal team, who told us the letter is fake letter and that Imran Khan has not written anything of this sort.
We also reviewed mainstream news websites in Pakistan, all of their posts and videos from 21 September 2023 till 25 September 2023, but did not find any legitimate reports claiming Imran Khan wrote an apology letter addressing the Chief of the Army Staff.
Virality
On X, this letter was viewed more than 255,100 times and received over 1300 interactions.
We also found the same claim shared on Facebook here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Conclusion: Imran Khan did not apologise to the Pakistan Armed Forces through a letter addressing the Chief of the Army Staff.
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