{"id":29513,"date":"2024-05-19T01:42:23","date_gmt":"2024-05-19T05:42:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/old-protest-video-from-pakistans-kashmir-falsely-linked-to-recent-unrest\/19\/05\/2024\/"},"modified":"2024-05-19T01:42:23","modified_gmt":"2024-05-19T05:42:23","slug":"old-protest-video-from-pakistans-kashmir-falsely-linked-to-recent-unrest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/old-protest-video-from-pakistans-kashmir-falsely-linked-to-recent-unrest\/19\/05\/2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Old protest video from Pakistan’s Kashmir falsely linked to recent unrest"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n<\/p>\n

\n

As deadly protests against rising living costs rocked Pakistan-administered Kashmir, a video surfaced in social media posts that falsely linked it to the unrest. The footage, which shows a crowd chanting in the street, has in fact circulated online since at least August 2022 in posts about rallies against government plans to transfer more power to Islamabad.<\/span><\/h3>\n

“Now we have to see this. Regrettable. Pakistanis shivered after hearing these slogans for the first time. Azad (free) Kashmir,” read an Urdu-language Facebook post<\/a> that shared the video on May 11, 2024.<\/p>\n

The video, which racked up more than 3,000 views, shows a crowd of protesters chanting and waving flags representing Pakistan-administered Kashmir, while a group of soldiers look on.<\/p>\n

“What do we want? We want freedom! We will get freedom from Pakistan! We will get freedom from India!” they shout.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"<span><button<\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Screenshot of the false Facebook post, captured on May 16, 2024<\/span><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

The video circulated in similar posts on Facebook\u00a0here<\/a>, here<\/a> and here<\/a> and on social media site X here<\/a>, here<\/a>\u00a0and here<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Four people were killed in protests<\/a> against rising living costs in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, which ended on May 14 after organisers accepted a government offer of financial aid.<\/p>\n

The Himalayan region is divided between India and Pakistan, who both claim it in full.<\/p>\n

However, the video was in fact filmed years before the protests broke out.<\/p>\n

Old protest<\/h3>\n

Keyword searches on Facebook and X found similar footage in posts from August 2022 about a protest against plans to give Pakistan’s capital Islamabad more control over the region.<\/p>\n

The same scene <\/span>is visible from the 14-second mark of a\u00a0Facebook video<\/a> from August 12, 2022 (archived link<\/a>).<\/p>\n

“Azad Kashmir,” reads the Urdu-language Facebook post.<\/p>\n

“Complete wheel-jam strike continued in Azad Kashmir. People of Muzaffarabad are chanting freedom slogans in front of the Pakistan army.”<\/p>\n

Muzaffarabad is the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir.<\/p>\n

Below is a screenshot comparison<\/span> of the video shared in false posts (left) and the video from 2022 (right). AFP has corrected the rotation of the video, which was flipped vertically.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"<span>Screenshot\"<span><button<\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Screenshot comparison of the video in the false post (left) and the video from 2022 (right)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

An AFP photographer in Muzaffarabad confirmed the location of the protest as Plate Road<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Similar footage published in an\u00a0X <\/a>post<\/a>\u00a0<\/a>from\u00a0August 12, 2022 included a scene<\/span> that appears to pick up from where the video in the false post ends (archived link<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The Urdu-language post read: “Strikes and protests are happening all over Azad Kashmir. The protest in Muzaffarabad did not give way to the Pakistani army vehicle. Slogans were raised against the 15th constitutional amendment.”<\/p>\n

Indian news outlets<\/span>\u00a0Times Now<\/a> and News 18<\/a> covered the protest at the time (archived links here <\/span><\/a>and <\/span>here<\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n

Times Now reported that demonstrators opposed a constitutional amendment that would transfer the local government’s financial and administrative powers to Islamabad.<\/p>\n

A frame from the falsely shared video — showing a Pakistani military vehicle — featured in a report on the protest by Indian news channel TV9 Bharatvarsh<\/a> from August 16, 2022 (archived link<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Below is a screenshot comparison between a frame from the falsely shared video (left) and the same frame sin TV9 Bharatvarsh’s report (right):<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"<span>Screenshot\"<span><button<\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Screenshot comparison between a frame from the falsely shared video (left) and the same frame shown in the Hindi-language news report (right)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

The Hindi-language report is titled: “Protesters once again demanded independence from Pakistan in Muzaffarabad”.<\/p>\n

As the image is shown, the anchor says: “Protests against Pakistan have now gotten out of control and the Pakistan army has been deployed on the streets of PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir)”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n