Fact Check: Deepfake Video Falsely Shows Imran Khan's Sister Claiming Asim Munir Wants War with India

Imran Khan is a "pure liberal", who seeks friendship with India, according to his sister, Aleema Khan.

New Delhi:

A deepfake video circulating on Wednesday falsely depicted Aleema Khan, sister of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, claiming that Pakistan's Chief of Defence Forces Asim Munir "yearns for war with India" during an interview on Sky News' 'The World with Yalda Hakim'.

In this fabricated footage, when asked about an alleged India-Pakistan conflict in May, the digitally manipulated Aleema Khan makes severe accusations against Munir, describing him as a "radicalised Islamist" whose religious conservatism drives him to conflict with non-Islamic nations.

The deepfake portrays Aleema contrasting Munir with her brother, saying: "Whenever Imran Khan comes to power, you will see that he always tries to befriend India, and even BJP. Whenever there is this radical Islamist, Asim Munir, you will see that there will be war with India and not just India, even the allies of India will suffer."

The video concludes with a fabricated appeal to Western powers to increase efforts to release Imran Khan, calling him an "asset".

However, Sky News and interviewer Yalda Hakim have categorically denounced the video as fraudulent. Hakim posted on X (formerly Twitter): "This is terrifying — a deepfake of my interview with Imran Khan's sister, Aleema Khan, is circulating. It falsely claims we discussed the Pakistan-India war earlier this year. We did NOT. This clip is completely fake."

In her actual interview, Aleema Khan expressed concern that Pakistani authorities were isolating her brother to "suppress the people of Pakistan."

She stated: "I think they are operating out of fear. He represents 90% of this country. How can you put a person who represents 90% of the country in jail? They basically want to suppress the people of Pakistan. They don't want their voice to be heard and they are standing behind Imran Khan. They thought if they isolated [him] people will forget him."

The India-Pakistan tensions referenced in the fake video relate to May 7 events when Indian Armed Forces conducted precision strikes on nine terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. India clarified that "Operation Sindoor" targeted neither Pakistani military infrastructure nor civilian establishments.

The relationship between Munir and Khan has been strained since 2019 when Munir reportedly initiated corruption investigations involving Khan's wife, Bushra Bibi. Khan, then Prime Minister, subsequently removed Munir from his position as Director General Inter-Services Intelligence after only eight months of what should have been a three-year appointment.

Imran Khan, founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, has been imprisoned since August 2023 after convictions in multiple cases. Recently, his family expressed concerns after being denied visitation rights for over a month, fueling rumors about his condition.

On Tuesday, Dr. Uzma Khanum, another of Khan's sisters, met with him at Adiala Jail for 20 minutes. She later reported that while physically unharmed, he complained of "mental torture" through isolation, with limited communication and movement privileges. Dr. Khanum added that her brother directly blamed General Asim Munir for his imprisonment conditions.