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Fact check: Viral video showing Imran Khan with a beard is doctored

Posts from PTI supporters on multiple social media platforms since Sunday were sharing a video showing PTI founder Imran Khan with a beard. However, the video is doctored.

Imran has remained incarcerated for over two years since August 2023 due to ongoing legal proceedings, despite several acquittals and suspended sentences. In January 2025, he was handed a 14-year prison sentence in a corruption case linked to the Al-Qadir University Project Trust.

On Aug 23 this year, a TikTok user — who appeared to be a PTI supporter based on his past posts — shared a video showing Imran with a beard.

The user did not provide any details about when or where the video was recorded.

The video amassed over 21.3 million views and more than 2.3m likes.

The same video was also shared by other PTI supporters on TikTok, here and here, where it gained 4.1m and 2.2m views, respectively.

Other users also circulated the clip on various other platforms, which can be seen here, here, here, here, here and here.

In addition, an image of Imran with a beard was also widely shared online, with examples available here and here.

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in Imran.

A reverse image search led to an X post shared by PTI’s official account on May 23, 2023.

The caption of the post read: “PTI Chairman Imran Khan earlier today in ATC (anti-terrorism court), Islamabad”.

In the image, Imran appears clean-shaven, wearing a white shalwar kameez with a dark blue waistcoat, identical to his attire in the viral video. The policemen visible in the image — one bearded and one clean-shaven — also match those seen in the viral video.

A keyword search for news reports around that date led to a Geo News report from the same day, titled “NAB grills Imran Khan in £190m settlement case”.

According to the report, Imran was granted bail in eight cases, while his wife Bushra Bibi secured bail in the £190m settlement case. Later that day, NAB questioned him regarding the Al-Qadir Trust and the settlement with a property tycoon, seeking records of donations and trust deeds. Imran had denied wrongdoing, maintaining that the funds remained with the Supreme Court and no personal benefit was taken.

The same image from PTI’s official post also appeared in the news report, further confirming its authenticity.

Therefore, the fact-check determined that the claim that a viral video shows Imran Khan with a beard is false. The video clip is doctored.

This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan — a project of CEJ-IBA and UNDP.



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