Javed Miandad being prepared to speak against Imran Khan

Rating Justification

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

To reach this conclusion, the iVerify Pakistan team investigated the video using a keyword search.

Multiple posts circulating on social media platform X since July 9, 2024, claimed that a video showed former cricketer Javed Miandad being prepared by military personnel to give a statement against PTI founder Imran Khan. However, the video is actually from August 2022 when Miandad visited the Wagah border and received a badge.

Miandad played in the 1975 World Cup as an 18-year-old and then went on to participate in five more World Cups, winning the 1992 event in Australia under Imran’s captaincy.

HOW IT STARTED

On July 9, 2024, a video was shared by an X user, who appeared to be a PTI supporter according to his past posts, showing Miandad being pinned a badge two military personnel, with the caption: “Big News: Javed Miandad is being prepared to give a statement against Imran Khan.”

The post was seen by more than 115,000 people.

The same video with a similar caption was also shared by other X users here and here.

METHODOLOGY

A fact check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest since it pertained to a former member of Imran’s World Cup-winning cricket squad and a popular athlete in his own right allegedly being made ready to speak against the former prime minister.

To investigate the claim, a keyword search was conducted using relevant keywords such as “Javed Miandad”, “badge” and “military personnel.”

The search led the team to a YouTube short uploaded on Miandad’s official YouTube channel.

The short was uploaded on August 21, 2022, with the title “At Wahgah Border”.

No news stories were found on the visit using keywords such as “Javed Miandad” and “Wahgah border”.

However, a keyword search in Urdu led to a news report published by Geo News Urdu on August 23, 2022.

The news story detailed Miandad’s visit to the Wahgah border in Lahore, during which he also spoke with the media. In the media talk at the Wahgah border, Miandad was wearing a blue shalwar kameez, the same clothing he wore when he received the badge from military personnel.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim regarding a video purportedly showing Miandad being prepared by military personnel to talk against Imran Khan is false.

The viral video is an old one from August 2022 when the former cricketer visited the Wahgah Border in Lahore.

Evidence and References

August 21, 2022, YouTube short on Javed Miandad’s channel:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-YxU4uYvxqM

August 23, 2022, Geo News Urdu news story:
https://urdu.geo.tv/latest/296827-?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1c9Y-hx3Dp366ysnrF9o4QrVJospa6Ay6AUVXMaMnYGjRcQsJf3FBjwBc_aem_hg0xdujrNl7Q3YrZFqPv6g