CLAIM
Viral video of Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El Sayed criticising the Pakistani government over Imran Khan’s imprisonment
RATING JUSTIFICATION
The iVerify Pakistan team investigated this claim and determined that the video is misleading.
To reach this conclusion, the iVerify team conducted a reverse image search to trace the origin of the viral video and a keyword search to review credible reports on it.
Several people shared a clip on social media platform X on November 9, 2026, allegedly showing US Democratic Senator-elect Abdul El Sayed criticising the Pakistani government over PTI founder Imran Khan’s arrest in fresh remarks. However, the video is old from August 2026.
The PTI has been fighting for Imran’s release since his imprisonment back in 2023 over the Toshakhana case, with tensions and disagreements heightening with the government since then.
Abdul El Sayed is the Democratic senator-elect for Michigan. He will be the first Muslim senator in the US after his swearing in. He had openly challenged the Democratic establishment, criticised the party’s direction and questioned some of its long-standing positions ahead of the US midterm elections. Among the issues that separated El-Sayed from the Democratic mainstream was US policy towards Israel and the war in Gaza.
HOW IT STARTED
On November 9, a pro-PTI account, based on its past posts, shared a video on X, showing the Michigan lawmaker criticising the Pakistani government over Imran’s imprisonment, among other things, while comparing it with dictatorship in Egypt.
The caption of the video said: “Thank you, Abdul El Sayed, for your vital leadership in exposing the stark realities facing Pakistan today. Your willingness to speak truth to power challenges a system where democratic rhetoric is used to shield a repressive, authoritarian regime. By cutting through this political facade, your voice provides essential clarity and a powerful platform for those striving for genuine justice and accountability.”
The post garnered 161,039 views and did not mention when or where the video was from .
Imran Khan’s son Kasim Khan also shared the same video with the following caption: “Appreciate Abdul El Sayed for speaking the truth. This Pakistani dictatorship have thrown democracy to the wayside. They use violence and intimidation to enforce their agenda and to cling onto power. Those in charge of Pakistan have sold their souls for wealth and power. If my father dies in this isolation, let it be remembered that Asim Munir and his cronies have made it so — simply because they fear the threat he poses to their purses. Cowards.”
It gained 130,385 views.
Subsequently, various other smaller X and Facebook accounts and users shared the same clip here, here, here, and here, thanking the US lawmaker as if he had recently made the remarks since his election win.
METHODOLOGY
A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in the release of Imran Khan. and the US Muslim lawmaker.
Inspecting the video showed that it was clearly marked “resurfaced video” while a board in the background said: “50th anniversary … Pakistan Association of American Michiga … “
A reverse image search conducted to trace the source of the viral video, which yielded the same visual being shared by WION, an Indian news channel on August 24, 2026.
The video’s caption stated the following: “ Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed criticised Pakistan’s military leadership. Abdul called it a ‘dictatorship’ that suppresses democracy and human rights.”
On the same date, Niraj Warikoo, a staff writer at the Detroit Free Press, according to his bio, shared a post on X with the following caption: “Speaking today at a Pakistani-American event in metro Detroit, US Senate Dem nominee Abdul El-Sayed called for democracy in Pakistan, currently under military rule: ‘On the 79th anniversary of Pakistan, we also have to be clear that right now, democracy is not being allowed to take its place.’ El-Sayed criticised the jailing and intimidation of politicians such as ex-PM Imran Khan.”
A keyword search yielded a report published by Indian digital news platform The Print on August 24, 2026, titled “Pakistan’s democracy void, Imran Khan feature in speech of El-Sayed, in race to be 1st Muslim US senator”.
The report stated that El-Sayed criticised the state of democracy in Pakistan, saying that people should be free to contest public office without facing imprisonment or intimidation. Without naming former prime minister Imran Khan, he emphasised that democracy required freedom of speech and the right to run for public office.
Another report was published by WION on the same date, titled “Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed backs Imran Khan’s release, calls for end to US Aid to Pakistan“.
The WION report stated that El-Sayed called for the release of former prime minister Imran Khan and criticised Pakistan’s government, describing it as a military dictatorship. Speaking at the Pakistan Association of America’s annual gathering in metro Detroit, he said that “democracy is not being allowed to take its place” and condemned the imprisonment and intimidation of political leaders. He also called for an end to US financial aid to Pakistan and Egypt, arguing that their status as American allies should not shield them from criticism.
FACT-CHECK STATUS: MISLEADING
The claim that a viral video shows Abdul El Sayed criticising the Pakistani government over Imran Khan’s imprisonment is misleading.
The video dates back to August 2026, before the US lawmaker’s electoral win and is not a fresh clip.
EVIDENCE AND REFERENCES
August 24, 2026, WION Facebook video:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1745629256644444
August 24, 2026, X post:
https://x.com/nwarikoo/status/2091643859272945749
August 24, 2026, ThePrint report:
August 24, 2026, WION report: