Fact-check: Old video incorrectly linked to recent Kurram violence

As violence continues in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a video with nearly 400,000 views is circulating online. It allegedly shows a man attempting to drown another during the recent unrest in the area, claiming it shows violence against the Shia community in Kurram.

The claim is false. The video is old and was not recorded in Pakistan.

Claim

On November 22, a 13-second video was shared by several social media users, claiming it depicted violence in the Parachinar area of Kurram district, which has been experiencing unrest for over a week.

Some posts used hashtags like #ParachinarKillings, alleging the video portrays recent violence against the Shia Muslim community in the region.

The video can be viewed on social media platforms.

Trigger warning: Geo Fact Check will not share the video, as it may be distressing for some readers.

Fact

The video is neither recent nor recorded in Pakistan.

A reverse image search reveals that the video has circulated online since at least 2021. While a post dated November 23, 2021, suggests it was filmed in the Panjshir province of Afghanistan.

The video resurfaced in 2022 and 2023, again linked to incidents in Afghanistan:

While Geo Fact Check cannot independently verify the video's exact location and date, it is clear that the clip predates the recent violence in Kurram and is unrelated to ongoing events.

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