Claim: A video shows a mob of people brutally beating three men from the Shiite Muslim sect and claiming that a war has been declared against the Shiite community in Charsadda.
Fact: The video, in fact, depicts people beating up three men who were allegedly part of a group that robbed a jewellery shop in Multan.
On 1 April 2023, Soch Fact Check received via WhatsApp a video claiming to show three members of the Shiite Muslim community in Charsadda being tied up with ropes, assaulted, and dragged in a public place.
The accompanying message asserted that this act was a declaration of war against the Shiite community in Charsadda. The message goes on to state that the lives of Shiites and “Asif Mehdi are in danger”, Sahibzada Mufti Gohar Ali Shah of the Tangi tehsil in Charsadda “has announced to kick out Mehdi Shah, along with other Shiites, by tying them with ropes and dragging them out of their homes”, and that hateful sermons were being given in the city’s mosques.
The message urged readers to spread its contents on social media.
The text is reproduced as follows, alongside its translation right afterwards:
“چارسدہ میں اہل تشیع کے خلاف اعلان جنگ: اہل تشیع اور آصف مہدی کی جان خطرے میں! تحصیل تنگی ضلع چارسدہ کے مفتی گوہر شاہ نے اہل تشیع سمیت مہدی شاہ کو رسیو میں باندھ کر گھروں سے گھسیٹ کر نکالنے کا اعلان۔ مفتی گوہر شاہ یزیدی نے حکومت اور پولیس سے مطالبہ کیا ھے کہ اہل تشیع کو چارسدہ سے نکالیں ورنہ انہیں علاقے سے گھسیٹ کر نکالا جائے گا۔ اہل تشیع کے خلاف نفرت میں چاسدہ کے مسجدوں میں کھلے عام نفرت انگیز خطبات دیئے جارھے ہیں۔ جب ہم پاکستان میں مذہبی شدت پسندی کے خاتمے کی بات کرتے ہیں تو ہمیں یہ دن یاد رہتے ہیں، سانحہ روہڑی سے لیکر کوئٹہ ، گلگت بلتستان اور پاراچنار تک اہل تشیع کے قتل عام کو ثواب سمجھا جاتا ھے۔ اب بھی وقت ھے، پاکستان میں مذہبی شدت پسندی کو لگام دیں، چارسدہ میں مفتی گوہر شاہ اور ان کے حواریوں کے خلاف آواز بلند کریں۔ اور سوشل میڈیا پر یہ پیغام پھیلا دیں
[Declaration of war against the Shiite community in Charsadda: The lives of the Shiites and Asif Mehdi are in danger! Mufti Gohar Shah of the Charsadda district’s Tangi tehsil has announced to kick out Mehdi Shah, along with other Shiites, by tying them with ropes and dragging them out of their homes. Mufti Gohar Shah ‘Yazidi’ has demanded the government and the police evict the Shiites from Charsadda; otherwise, they will be dragged out of the area. Hateful sermons are being given openly in the mosques of Charsadda as part of the hatred against the Shiite community. When we talk about ending religious extremism in Pakistan, we remember these days — from the Rohri tragedy to Quetta, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Parachinar — the massacre of Shiites is considered as a reward. There is still time, curb religious extremism in Pakistan, raise your voice against Mufti Gauhar Shah and his followers in Charsadda. And spread this message on social media]”
Fact or Fiction?
While investigating the claim, Soch Fact Check first looked for any markers to ascertain where the video was shot.
We identified the Punjab Police’s Dolphin Force, whose uniforms are black, with two red and blue patches on the left and right sides of the chest, the unit’s logo on the left, and three tilted grey stripes on the right leg. The officers also have the word ‘police’ in capital letters — with a red background and a blue line — emblazoned on the top of their backs.
The three picture on the left — from Facebook pages @DIGOpsLahore, @LahorePoliceOperationsWing, and @DolphinSquadLahore — show the uniform of Dolphin Police; the top four pictures on the right are from the viral video; and the bottom four on the right are from the similar video filmed from a different angle.
Charsadda is a city in the homonymous district of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, whereas the Dolphin Force is part of the Punjab Police.
At least one Dolphin Force officer can be spotted in the viral video.
Moreover, after finding a similar video filmed from a different angle on Facebook, we began to suspect it was actually shot in Multan.
We, therefore, looked for reports from Multan on different social media platforms using the search term “ملتان شہری [Multan, Citizens]” and found this Facebook post (archive). The video is accompanied by the following news tickers:
- “ملتان : گلگشت کے علاقے جیولر کی دوکان میں دن دہاڑے ڈکیتی کی واردت
Multan: A robbery occurred in broad daylight at a jeweller’s shop in Gulgasht area - ملتان : دوران ورادات مزاحمت پر ڈاکوؤں نے فائرنگ کرکے دوکان مالک کو زخمی کردیا
Multan: The robbers opened fire and injured the shop owner when he resisted - ملتان : مارکیٹ کے ایک تاجر نے ایک ڈاکو کو پکڑ لیا ، دوسرے ڈاکو نے تاجر کو فائرنگ مارا دی
Multan: A trader in the market caught one of the robbers, another robber shot the trader - ملتان : فائرنگ کے نتیجے میں ایک تاجر مواقع پر جانبق ہو گیا
Multan: As a result of firing, one trader was killed - ملتان : ڈاکوؤں کی فائرنگ سے ایک راہگیر بھی جاں بحق ہوگیا
Multan: A passer-by was also killed in the firing of robbers - ملتان : چار ڈاکو شہریوں کے ہتھے چڑھ گئے اور دو ڈاکو موقع سے فرار ہونے میں کامیاب ہوگیا ۔ پولیس ذرائع
Multan: Citizens caught four robbers and two robbers managed to escape, say police sources - ملتان : شہریوں نے ڈاکوؤں کی خوب درگت بناڈالی
Multan: The citizens thrashed the robbers - ملتان : درگت بنانے کی فوٹیج اے بی این نیوز کو موصول
Multan: ABN News received the footage of the thrashing - ملتان : فوٹیج میں دیکھا جاسکتا ہے شہری ڈاکوؤں کو رسی سے باندھ کر خوب درگت بنارہے ہیں۔
Multan: In the footage, it can be seen that the citizens are thrashing the robbers after tying them up with ropes. - ملتان : پولیس نے موقع پر پہنچ کر ڈاکوؤں کو حراست میں لے کر کاروائی شروع کردی
Multan: Police reached the spot and started action by taking the robbers into custody”
Using keywords from the news tickers — such as Gulgasht Colony and ABN News — we found the original report, available here (archive).
We also matched keyframes from the viral video and the clip showing people thrashing the robbery suspects.
Soch Fact Check also contacted Punjab Police Spokesperson Nayab Haider, who confirmed that the video is from the “Multan incident” and not Charsadda.
It is important to note that Soch Fact Check has not investigated claims of calls for sectarian violence in Charsadda.
Virality
Soch Fact Check found the video shared in an unrelated context here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Conclusion: The video depicts people beating up three of a group of men who allegedly robbed a jewellery shop in Multan. It has no connection whatsoever with the alleged call for sectarian violence in Charsadda.
Background image in cover photo: Zeeshan afand/Wikimedia Commons
