Video clip of Captain Safdar saying sexual relations are permissible without nikah

Rating Justification

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

To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan traced and checked the complete speech of PML-N leader Captain Safdar Awan.

Posts from multiple users on social media platforms since January 6, 2025, shared a video clip showing Captain Safdar saying sexual relations were permissible without a nikah/marriage. However, the clip was misleading as it was incomplete and did not show Captain Safdar’s full remark.

On January 5, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived at Rahim Yar Khan Airport where Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed him. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was also present and greeted the visiting dignitary with a handshake.

She faced heavy criticism from PTI supporters who labelled her handshake inappropriate and a breach of diplomatic protocol.

HOW IT STARTED

The iVerify Pakistan team was alerted on Jan 7 about a post on X and requested authentication for the content.

On January 6, an 11-second video clip was shared by a user on X, who appeared to be a PTI supporter based on his previous posts, with the following caption: “PTI members were making a fuss over shaking hands, the next one has even allowed sexual relations.”

The post was referring to CM Maryam’s interaction and then to her husband.

The clip showed Captain Safdar saying: “Nikah is not required for sexual relations. I am giving a very major fatwa. I challenge any religious scholar to debate me, I will prove it.”

The post reached over 183,000 views and was reshared 2,800 times.

Fan pages of anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan also shared the same video with the same caption, garnering 19,700 and 6,791 views, respectively.

Other PTI supporters also shared the video clip across X as can be seen here, here, here and here with a combined total of over 29,000 views.

The claim was also circulated on Facebook with multiple posts sharing the same video clip as can be seen here and here.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality, to satisfy the public’s request seeking authentication and because of the dangerous nature of the video’s framing as Captain Safdar challenging religious laws and authorities with the possibility of inciting violence against the politician.

A keyword search yielded a longer eight-minute video of the speech on Facebook dated January 25, 2023.

At the 32-second mark, Captain Safdar can be heard making the following statement:

“In Imran Khan’s philosophy of convenience, a nikah is not necessary for sexual relations. I am giving a very major fatwa. I challenge any religious scholar to debate me, I will prove it.”

The PML-N leader subsequently referred to Imran’s past entanglements and the matter of his alleged daughter, rhetorically questioning whether the latter was born in wedlock.

Fact-Check title: Misleading

The claim regarding a video clip of Captain Safdar saying that sexual relations are permissible without a nikah is misleading.

The viral clip is incomplete and omits crucial context that in his complete remark, the PML-N leader is making a clear dig about Imran Khan’s supposed thoughts and views on the matter rather than presenting his own opinion on the issue.

Omitting this crucial first part of his remark involving Imran gives the impression that the PML-N leader is giving his own thoughts on the sensitive issue which holds the potential of misguiding the public and generating religious anger and frenzy that could lead to actual violence.

Evidence and References

January 25, 2023, Facebook video:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1145899532958541