Video shows PTI march in Italy, not demonstration in UK over Pakistan army chief's visit

Misleading Video Claims Protest Against Pakistan Army Chief in London

A video circulating on social media falsely alleges a demonstration in London against Pakistan’s army chief, General Syed Asim Munir, following his visit to the United Kingdom in February 2025. While a protest did occur in London during the military leader’s UK trip, the video actually depicts a rally organized by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, loyal to jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, in Brescia, Italy, in November 2024. This fake news has been widely shared online.

The footage, featuring a multitude of individuals waving PTI flags and marching along a roadway, was disseminated on X on February 20, 2025.

The Urdu caption accompanying the video asserts, “Pakistanis protest Asim Munir’s visit to London. There is significant anger among Pakistanis globally regarding ongoing human rights abuses in Pakistan.” This misleading post garnered over 131,000 views.

General Syed Asim Munir holds the prominent position of Pakistan’s army chief, a role widely considered to wield substantial influence in the nuclear-armed nation of 250 million.

The video gained traction as General Munir concluded his visit to the United Kingdom, where he participated in the 7th Regional Stabilisation Conference at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

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The video’s resurgence coincided with ongoing political tensions in Pakistan, as jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan maintains significant public support, challenging the current coalition government that sidelined his PTI party after the February 2024 elections.

Khan, removed from office in 2022 and incarcerated since August 2023, was prohibited from participating in the elections, and his PTI party faced considerable restrictions.

Despite these challenges, candidates allied with Khan secured the largest number of seats; however, a coalition formed by parties traditionally opposed to each other, and viewed as having military links, prevented them from assuming power.

Similar posts featuring the same false claim of a London protest were also shared on Facebook.

While PTI supporters did organize a demonstration in London during General Munir’s visit, the video being shared online originates from a separate protest held in Italy several months prior.

Brescia PTI Protest Verified

Through reverse image searches and keyword analysis, the identical video footage was located on Facebook, posted by PTI’s Punjab division on November 25, 2024.

The post’s description stated: “A significant protest was demonstrated by PTI Italy in Brescia, Pakistanis from across Italy joined and expressed support for Imran Khan, protesting against severe human rights violations in Pakistan.”

During that period, convoys of Imran Khan’s supporters marched towards Islamabad to participate in protests against his imprisonment, following a day marked by violent clashes between demonstrators and security forces.

Responding to the call for demonstrations, overseas Pakistanis mobilized in numerous countries, including Italy, according to PTI announcements.

Geographic verification confirmed that the falsely attributed video aligns with Google Street View imagery of Brescia’s Via Cefalonia, further substantiating its Italian origin.

The inaccurate claim was also debunked by Pakistani fact-checking organization Soch Fact Check.