The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has issued an official fact-check categorically rejecting viral social media claims that “Chairman PTI Imran Khan has been killed in jail”, calling them “completely false” and part of a coordinated disinformation campaign originating from Afghan and Indian networks.
According to the ministry, the “false claims on Afghan & Indian social media” began when “anonymous Afghan accounts circulated an unverified rumour that Imran Khan was killed in custody and his body moved.”
Furthermore, the ministry said that these posts came from “two Afghan propaganda handles known for fabrications,” whose tweets appeared “only 46 minutes apart — a clear indication of a coordinated attempt rather than independent reporting.”
Both accounts “falsely claimed a ‘Pakistani source’ confirmed the death but provided no documentation, proof, or institutional verification.”
The ministry said Indian outlets then “repeated the rumour using two old photos from 2013 and 2022 as ‘fresh evidence.’”
One image was identified as “from 2013, when Imran Khan fell from a forklift stage during an election rally.”
Similarly, the other one “is from 4 November 2022, the assassination attempt in Wazirabad that caused leg injuries.”
Ministry of Information Fact Check regarding fake rumours on Imran Khan’s death
The fact check notes that “at 12:06 PM PST, Republic TV aired a false claim of ‘PTI supporters storming Adiala Jail’,” and “within hours, the channel began running the Afghan-origin death rumour without verification.”
It adds that “Indian outlets started posting about the claim after 3 PM PST, all relying only on the same two Afghan accounts.”
Moreover, “no journalist, official, hospital, or government agency confirmed any abnormal development,” and even PTI representatives told Indian channels that no such information existed.
It added that “some Indian channels openly acknowledged that the rumour began on Afghan accounts, yet still treated it as a ‘possible developing story’, which added unnecessary confusion.”
The statement stresses that “the timing, coordination, and rapid cross-border amplification suggest a deliberate attempt to create unrest within Pakistan.”
The ministry has advised the public to “always verify context before accepting viral claims,” “treat sensational posts from anonymous foreign handles with caution,” and “be alert to old photographs being recycled as ‘proof’.”
