Viral Video shows COAS Asim Munir touching Saudi Crown Prince’s feet

Rating Justification

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

To reach the conclusion, iVerify Pakistan traced the original source via a watermark visible on the clip and also observed some obvious manipulation with the video.

On Nov 7, 2024, multiple users on social media platform X shared a clip of Army Chief Asim Munir appearing to touch the feet of Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman during a meeting. However, the video is AI-generated.

Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir met Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman at the Royal Palace in Riyadh during his official visit to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, November 6, 2024.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the two engaged in a comprehensive discussion on a range of issues of mutual interest, including regional peace, defence and security cooperation, and strategies for enhancing bilateral relations.

The Army Chief’s official visit came following the recent approval of amendments to the Army Act, extending his tenure until 2027.

HOW IT STARTED

On November 7, 2024, an X user, who appeared to be a PTI supporter based on past posts, shared a five-second clip of Army Chief General Asim Munir allegedly touching Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman’s feet.

The video was set to a background score of a Bollywood song, and the caption read: “This *** Asim Munir even snatches veils from Pakistani women, yet goes abroad and falls at their feet. Cursed, mentally ill person.”

The post garnered nearly 235,000 views and 3,000 re-shares.

The video was also shared here and here.

The same clip was also shared on YouTube.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and its negative association with Army Chief General Asim Munir. The team also suspected AI manipulation upon seeing the video. Furthermore, the growing prevalence of AI and deepfake content presents a severe risk to the authenticity of future news reports, making such verification efforts crucial.

To investigate the claim, the video was observed critically. Observing it from the naked eye, the video appeared to be AI-generated. The COAS’ movement looked awkward and the footage was disjointed, making it clear it wasn’t actual footage.

Moreover, a watermark reading “Bilal Ai” was visible in the upper-right corner of the video, leading the team to look up the social media account of the same name. On the upper-left corner of the video, “BACHALO” was written.

The video was originally posted by username Bilal AI on X, dated November 7, 2024. It was captioned: “With a Begging and Seeking Forgiveness Attitude Where does that spirituality disappear, which is present at every step within their own country? Why do these Generals Runs towards Kings? For What Purpose? In What Capacity? Then they say, ‘We are neutral; we have no connection to politics. Available on TikTok as well (The time has come to expose their true actions to every child).”

In the account bio, the user described himself as creating “SW AI-based content,” confirming that he utilised Artificial Intelligence Technology to create videos.

To trace the original photo from which the video was artificially generated, a keyword search of “COAS Asim Munir” and “Saudi Crown Prince,” yielded a news story from Dawn.com with the title, “Army chief calls on Saudi Arabia’s MBS,” dated November 7, 2024. It included the original photo of the dignitaries sitting across from each other.

Pictures uploaded by the official Instagram account of ISPR also included the original photo of COAS General Asim Munir and Crown Saudi Prince Mohammad Bin Salman.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The iVerify Pakistan team investigated the claim and determined that it is false.

The viral video showing COAS General Asim Munir touching the feet of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman is AI-generated.

Evidence and References

November 7, 2024, Instagram Post of ISPR:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DCCuGxZo3ni/?hl=en&img_index=3

Nov 7, 2024, Dawn news story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1870620/army-chief-calls-on-saudi-arabias-mbs