Khawar Maneka celebrates with aerial firing after court rejects pleas seeking suspension of Imran, Bushra Bibi’s sentences in Iddat case

Rating Justification

The iVerify Pakistan team has reviewed this content and determined that it is false.

To reach this conclusion, the iVerify Pakistan team conducted a Google reverse image search.

Multiple posts on social media platform X on June 27, 2024, shared an alleged video of Khawar Maneka, ex-husband of former first lady Bushra Bibi, celebrating with aerial firing after a court upheld her and PTI founder Imran Khan’s sentences in the Iddat case. However, the video is old from 2021.

Imran is currently incarcerated in the Iddat case. On February 3, an Islamabad court had convicted him and Bushra Bibi and sentenced them to seven years in jail based on a complaint filed by Maneka, who alleged that they contracted marriage during her Iddat period.

On June 27, an Islamabad district court rejected their pleas to suspend their sentences.

HOW IT STARTED

On June 27, 2024, a PML-N supporter shared a video of Maneka firing shots in the air, alleging that it showed him celebrating after the court upheld Imran and his wife’s sentences.

The post was seen by over 18,000 people.

The same video with a similar caption was shared by another PML-N supporter, gaining over 11,000 views.

The same claims were shared by other X users as well here and here.

METHODOLOGY

A fact check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and since it concerned a matter related to the ongoing Iddat case proceedings which command substantial national interest and attention.

A reverse image search conducted using screenshots from the video yielded a video uploaded on Facebook by digital media platform Naya Daur Media on March 13, 2021.

The caption said, “A video of Khawar Maneka engaging in aerial firing has gone viral on social media.”

A keyword search conducted for “Khawar Maneka”, “firing” and “celebration” yielded a news story from Daily Pakistan, a local newspaper, dated March 14, 2021, with the headline, “Video of aerial firing by the ex-husband of PM Imran’s wife goes viral.”

The news story reported that a video of Maneka firing shots in the air at his son Ibrahim Maneka’s wedding had surfaced online.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim regarding a video showing Khawar Maneka’s celebratory aerial firing after an Islamabad court upheld Imran and his wife’s Iddat case sentence is false.

The video is an old one from at least as far back as March 2021 and entirely unrelated to current events.

Evidence and References

March 13, 2021, video uploaded by Naya Daur Media on Facebook:
https://web.archive.org/web/20240628080529/https://www.facebook.com/nayadaurpk/videos/474429390417475/

March 14, 2021, Daily Pakistan’s news story:
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/14-Mar-2021/video-of-aerial-firing-by-ex-husband-of-pm-imran-s-wife-goes-viral