Viral video of policemen beating up Afghan women

Rating Justification

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

To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan conducted a reverse image search and keyword analysis to corroborate the visuals.

Multiple people, including pro-Afghan accounts, shared a video on social media platform X on November 15, 2025, claiming that it showed policemen beating Afghan women during a repatriation drive. However, the video is old and does not show Afghan women.

Pakistan began sending undocumented Afghan migrants back in late 2023 after announcing a November 1 deadline, and more than half a million people crossed into Afghanistan in the first few months, with the total surpassing 600,000 by mid-2024. Most returns occurred through the Torkham and Chaman border points, where temporary holding centres were established for processing. Families who had lived in Pakistan for years left with limited belongings, while aid groups warned that Afghanistan’s weak economy and harsh winter conditions made the journey and resettlement far tougher for those forced to return.

HOW IT STARTED

On Nov 15, an Afghan account shared a video showing policemen beating up a woman while taking her in custody.

The post was captioned: “Beating of an Afghan woman by Pakistani police.”

The post gained over 36,000 views.

Another account that appears to be a PTI supporter, based on its previous posts, also shared the same video with a similar claim on X.

The post was captioned: “If you’re going to evict Afghan residents under Asim Munir’s law, then do it, but don’t humiliate them. Are you slapping women? Pakistani people were never such ruthless, heartless beasts. Who turned you into an animal?”

The post gained over 183,000 views.

The same video, along with similar claims, was also shared by several Afghan accounts on X as can be seen here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here; collectively gaining more than 25,000 views.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its high virality and keen public interest in Afghan repatriations and alleged rights abuses during the campaign.

A reverse image search conducted to trace the original video yielded a news article with snapshots of the same video on February 6, 2021, by local Urdu digital media outlet Zama Swat with the following title: “What are the facts behind the bail of police officers and the release of female thieves?”

According to the news article, three women were arrested for shoplifting in Saidu Sharif, Swat. Five police officers who beat and kicked the women while taking them to the relevant police station in a vehicle were later dismissed and arrested by the district police officer.

A keyword search conducted to corroborate whether such news was reported yielded the same video shared in the same context in a news article by The Express Tribune on Feb 3, 2021. The article was titled “Five KP policemen booked for publicly beating up three arrested women”.

According to the article, five policemen were suspended and arrested for publicly beating up women who were allegedly arrested for robbery in Swat. Multiple other mainstream media outlets, such as Dawn and The News International, had also reported the incident

Furthermore, the investigation showed that the same claim was previously shared in mid-March 2025 on X, Facebook and Instagram.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim that a viral video shows policemen beating up Afghan women during a repatriation drive is false.

The video is old from 2021 and does not show Afghan women.

Evidence and References

February 6, 2021, ZAMA Swat news article:
https://zamaswat.com/%D9%BE%D9%88%D9%84%DB%8C%D8%B3-%D8%A7%DB%81%D9%84%DA%A9%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%88%DA%BA-%DA%A9%DB%8C-%D8%B6%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%88%D8%B1-%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AA%DB%8C%D9%86-%DA%86%D9%88%D8%B1/

February 4, 2021, Dawn news article:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1605346

February 3, 2021, The Express Tribune news article:
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2282507/five-k-p-policemen-booked-for-publicly-beating-up-three-arrested-women

February 4, 2021, The News International news article:
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/784751-five-kp-cops-suspended-for-torturing-women-suspects