Video cited as proof of Imran Khan taking Rs1.4 billion to amend Khatm-i-Naboowat law

Rating Justification

‘The iVerify Pakistan team has checked this content and has established that it is false.

To arrive to this verdict, the iVerify Pakistan team investigated the complete video from which the viral clip was sourced.

HOW IT STARTED

On February 1, 2024, a 20-second clip began circulating on social media platform X from a prime-time talk show with the caption “Imran Khan took Rs1.4 billion from Qadianis and Mirzais to abolish the Khatm-i-Naboowat law. Imran Khan is a blasphemer and a blasphemer is an infidel. If you are Muslim then don’t support Imran Khan. The video is present as proof”.

The clip shared by the X user, who appears to be a PML-N supporter based on his past posts and account description, gained over 58,000 views.

The transcript of the clip is reproduced below:

PMLN’s Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha: “You (anchor) should go to Geneva and investigate it. There is a minority protection organisation that works under the banner of the UN”.

Anchor: “Who took Rs1.4bn?”

Ranjha: “Imran Khan took Rs1.4bn to change Khatm-i-Naboowat laws and Jahangir Tareen was a guarantor for that MOU.”

Anchor: “To change [the law]?”

Ranjha: “Yes!”

The same clip with a similar caption was shared here, here, here and here.

During the investigation, the team found that the same video was circulated several times in the previous years as well.

The same clip was shared here and here on March 24, 2021.

METHODOLOGY

The iVerify Pakistan team sought to investigate the claim since it asserted a very dangerous blasphemy allegation against PTI founder Imran Khan which not only falls into the domain of hate speech but can also have harmful repercussions.

It is further also an attempt to dissuade voters from supporting the PTI ahead of the February 8 general elections by using the religion card.

Investigating the video, the iVerify Pakistan team did a reverse image search and found the full video of the talk show Nadeem Malik Live uploaded by Samaa TV on YouTube on January 24, 2018.

During the talk show, PTI’s Arif Alvi, PPP’s Shazia Marri, and PMLN’s Ranjha were arguing about the Khatm-i-Naboowat law.

The following is the relevant transcript of the programme from the 38:36-minute mark:

Ranjha: “Your chairman took Rs1.4bn and Jahangir Tareen was the guarantor.”

Anchor: “One minute. Who took Rs1.4bn?”

Ranjha: “I am telling you, Rs1.4bn were taken. There has been some mistake by us — by me myself.”

Anchor: “Who took Rs1.4bn?”

Ranjha: “PTI did.”

Alvi: “From whom?”

Ranjha: “There was a UN organisation, the minority protection organisation. From it they — now see this is also hearsay but I am stating the right thing.”

Marri: “It is hearsay but right?”

Ranjha: “This is a hearsay and an allegation but listen … You (anchor) should go to Geneva and investigate it. There is a minority protection organisation that works under the banner of the UN”.

Anchor: “Who took Rs1.4bn?”

Ranjha: “Imran Khan took Rs1.4bn to change Khatm-i-Naboowat laws and Jahangir Tareen was a guarantor for that MOU.”

Anchor: “To change [the law]?”

Ranjha: “Yes! … why did they (PTI) never say anything when the law was in process for two years PTI never said anything … I should have gone to Geneva and brought that agreement.”

Alvi: ” This is a lie … if you have proof then put us behind bars”.

Later, Marri said: “This is a sensitive issue and we should not behave like this. We have seen in Charsadda where this hate took the life of a principal and before that the incident of Mashal Khan. It is because of our behaviour that such hatred spreads and we should take care … I think verification and confirmation is necessary before speaking.”

A further search by iVerify Pakistan to investigate whether the allegation was repeated again by a different party or Ranjha at Imran, and whether or not any mainstream news publication covered it, proved inconclusive and yielded nothing of the sort.

BACKGROUND

During the passage of the Elections Act 2017, it was claimed that a clause related to a candidate’s belief in the finality of the prophethood of the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) ─ the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat oath — was deliberately modified as part of a larger conspiracy by the PML-N government at the time.

The issue had resulted in protests across Pakistan.

The amendment to the oath was deemed a “clerical error” by the then-PML-N government and was subsequently rectified through an act of Parliament.

CONCLUSION

The iVerify Pakistan team has determined that the claim about the viral clip providing proof of Imran taking the alleged amount is false.

PML-N’s Ranjha himself says in the complete video that what he is saying is “hearsay” and offers no evidence or proof for it. Rather, he laments that he should have gone to Geneva and brought the alleged agreement he refers to while the anchor and Alvi call on him to give the proof for his assertion.

The viral video thus does not provide proof of any kind for the claim.

Evidence and References

January 24, 2018 YouTube video of Nadeem Malik Live show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pI6am_M384