Viral image of protests in Azad Jammu and Kashmir

Rating Justification

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

To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan analysed the image critically as well as used image manipulation tools to detect any tampering.

Posts from multiple users, including PTI supporters, since September 28, 2025, shared an image on social media platform X, claiming to show protesters in Azad Jammu and Kashmir amid fire blazing through the street. However, the viral image is AI-generated.

The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC), a civil society alliance, had announced a region-wide lockdown for Sept 29 against what it called the decade-long denial of fundamental rights in the territory.

On Sept 26, negotiations were held between JKJAAC and the AJK government in a bid to call off the lockdown. However, the talks failed after a deadlock emerged over the abolition of elite privileges and seats reserved for the Pakistan-based refugees from Indian-occupied Kashmir.

HOW IT STARTED

On Sept 28, an X user, who describes himself as a correspondent of digital media outlet Siasat.pk, shared an image of a group of men on motorcycles with the AJK national flag. Fire can also be seen blazing through the street.

The caption of the post said: “People in Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir, have taken to the streets by lighting torches at this time.”

The post gathered 11,300 views and 2,400 likes.

The same photo was also shared by another X user, who seems to be a PTI supporter from previous posts, with the following caption: “The beautiful scene of Chand Raat in Jammu Kashmir. What a splendid passion. As a PTI worker, I fully support the revolution.”

The post gained over 5,000 views.

Other X users, most of them PTI supporters, also shared the image as seen here, here, here and here, amassing over 10,000 views collectively.

The photo with the same claim was also shared on other social media platforms such as TikTok and Facebook, as seen here, here and here.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in AJK’s security situation.

Observing the image shows that the flags in the image are crisp and repeated instead of folding or rippling naturally in motion. Some edges blur into the background as well.

Similarly, the torches cast strong flames, but their shadows on the ground, and of the men in the image, are either missing, inconsistent, or don’t align with the direction of the light source.

Another major inconsistency is that the flames are sporadically placed in the image near the handlebars without being attached to torches or sticks.

Furthermore, some motorcycles appear oddly shaped or incomplete, especially in the wheels and handlebars, while several riders’ hands don’t grip the handles or torches naturally and seem to merge with the object.

Analysing the image through verification tools for potential tampering and AI-generation showed that Fake Image Detector gave the photo a 33 per cent authenticity score, which means that it had a high likelihood of manipulation or AI generation, while AI or Not flagged it as a deepfake and pointed out the areas in the picture with the above discrepancies.

Furthermore, a diamond shape is visible at the bottom right of the image, which is similar to Gemini, Google’s AI assistant. For confirmation, iVerify Pakistan used Gemini to generate an image, and the result showed a similar logo on the bottom right of the latter.

A keyword search also did not yield any results of the photo being shared by credible local or international media outlets.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim that a viral image shows protests in Azad Jammu and Kashmir is false.

The image is generated through AI.

Evidence and References