Claim: Protestors staged a physical demonstration against Askari Bank and Fauji Foundation.
Fact: Although some social media users have initiated boycotts against Askari Bank and Fauji products, no physical demonstrations have occurred anywhere in the country. The video in question is digitally manipulated, as the banners and posters carried by the ‘protesters’ contain noticeable typos.
X user @Waqarkhan123 shared a video (archive) on X, “دشمنان پاکستان کی مصنوعات کا بائیکاٹ کریں
غداران پاکستان کی مصنوعات خرید کر ان کی بندوق کے لئے گولیاں مت خریدیں، کل کو یہ گولیاں ہمارے ہی بچوں پر استعمال ہوں گی”
[Translated from Urdu: Boycott the products of Pakistan’s enemies.
Do not purchase the products of Pakistan’s traitors, as it funds bullets for their guns, which may be used against our own children tomorrow.]
The video shows a large crowd gathered outside Askari Bank, holding posters saying boycott Askari, boycott Fauji products, etc.
Askari Bank
Askari Bank, established as a public limited company in Pakistan in October 1991, began its operations in April 1992. Listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange, the bank specialises in providing comprehensive banking services, as outlined in the Banking Companies Ordinance, 1962. Askari Bank and Fauji Foundation are among the 50 commercial entities run by the armed forces, according to Dawn.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check reverse-searched keyframes of the viral video but was unable to locate the original footage. However, several irregularities throughout the video suggest manipulation.
The video features a watermark reading @ali_inshort positioned in the middle, indicating it was likely edited using a video editing application. Video editing applications such as Inshot and CapCut allow users to trim, merge, and enhance videos by adding text, filters, effects, and watermarks. The watermark casts doubt on the video’s authenticity as the footage may have been modified before being shared.
It’s important to note that the branches of Askari Bank do not resemble those shown in the viral video. The video shows “Askari Bank” written in silver letters, while actual Askari Bank branches across the country feature blue, grey, and white signage.
In several frames of the video, the protesters’ posters display identical text, many with noticeable typos. Some posters read ‘Faauji,’ ‘Boyboct,’ and ‘Boycoct.’ Media generated using Artificial Intelligence often exhibit such errors, as AI has not yet perfected rendering text accurately.
Crucially, the video includes background music instead of the natural sounds typically associated with protest footage, such as people chanting slogans. The absence of authentic ambient noise further suggests manipulation. Additionally, considering the large number of people shown in the video, it is suspicious that this is the only footage available. If the protest were genuine, one would expect multiple videos from different angles to have surfaced online.
We also conducted a keyword search using the terms ‘Protests,’ ‘Askari Bank,’ ‘Fauji Foundation,’ and ‘Boycott,’ but found no news reports or first-hand accounts on social media about public demonstrations in the country.
Although we were unable to locate the original footage, the numerous inconsistencies indicate that the video is not authentic and does not depict a genuine protest against Askari Bank or Fauji Foundation.
Virality
The video was widely shared on Facebook, including here, here, here, here, here, and here.
It was shared here, here, and here on X. Archived here, here, and here.
On Threads, it was shared here.
Conclusion: While we could not trace the original footage, the inconsistencies in the video confirm it has been manipulated. Furthermore, the lack of credible news reports or first-hand accounts on social media about the incident supports the conclusion that no physical protests occurred anywhere in the country.
–
Background image in cover photo: Dawn
To appeal against our fact-check, please send an email to appeals@sochfactcheck.com