Viral video does not show police allegedly beating relatives of AJK protesters | The Express Tribune
iVerify Pakistan confirmed the video shows an electricity theft incident, not police assault on a family
The video is from an older incident in Lahore and is entirely unrelated to the AJK situation. PHOTO: VIDEO GRAB
Multiple Indian propaganda accounts were sharing a video since July 28, 2026, across social media platforms, claiming that it shows the police beating relatives of protesters in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. However, the clip shows a scuffle between Punjab Police and a local in Lahore.
Clashes and riots have rocked AJK since June 2026, with confrontations between protesters and law enforcement personnel in Rawalakot and Mirpur in the week beginning July 27, 2026, which reportedly resulted in several casualties. On August 3, 2026, AJK Information Secretary Muhammad Rashid Hanif said that seven law enforcement personnel, including those of police and Rangers, were martyred during recent unrest in the region, while international outlets have put the alleged toll of protester deaths at above 30.
Areas have also been subject to an internet and connectivity clampdown which has rendered verification difficult and limited the flow of information.
How it started
On July 28, an Indian propaganda account, based on its past posts, shared a video on X, claiming that it shows Pakistan police assaulting family members of protesters in AJK, with the following caption: “Pakistani police in Kashmir has been brutal on the family members of protesters.”
The post gained 257,300 views.
Another Indian account shared the same clip with the same caption, accumulating 80,700 views.
A Pakistani blogger, based on its bio, posted the same clip on Instagram with the following caption: “Kashmir right now!!”
The post attracted 83,000 views.
Indian journalist Abhijit Majumder also shared the same clip with the following caption: “This is not Gaza. This is Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Which is why the world is silent today in spite of over 90 killings of innocent civilian protesters by Pakistani forces so far.”
It garnered 36,300 views.
The video was shared by several other users on Threads; on X, such as here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here; collectively accumulating 34,000 views.
Methodology
A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in the ongoing AJK protests.
Looking at the video showed that the personnel were not wearing the uniform of the AJK Police, which is follows a black-khaki colour pairing compared to the Punjab Police’s dark olive green.
A reverse image search yielded the same video shared by a Facebook page on June 19, 2026, with the following description: “The incident that occurred during an operation against electricity theft in Glaxo Town, near Nishtar Colony, is concerning. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has repeatedly stated that the Punjab Police and government institutions are servants of the public; even if someone has committed electricity theft, action against them should be taken in accordance with the law—not through violence or inappropriate treatment.”
A keyword search yielded multiple similar visuals shared by a separate Facebook page on July 19 with the same context.
A reverse image search yielded a longer video of the same clip shared by a Facebook user on July 22, which shows electricity cables in the hands of the security personnel, further corroborating the claim.
The longer video shows a poster in the background at the 57-second mark bearing the name Al-Rehman Science School and Academy.
A keyword search further confirmed that the school is located in Nishtar Colony, Lahore.
The iVerify Pakistan team contacted Muhammad Zeeshan, a local general store owner on the same street whose shop number could be seen in the video, who said he witnessed the incident. He confirmed that, after being caught allegedly stealing electricity, the individual became violent and wielded an electric wire — the same wire seen in the hands of a police official in the video — prompting the police to respond.
Fact-check status: false
The claim that a viral video shows police assaulting family members of protesters in AJK is false.
The video is from an older incident in Lahore and is entirely unrelated to the AJK situation.
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