CLAIM
Viral video of PTI MNA Shahid Khattak daring government to hang PTI founder Imran Khan
RATING JUSTIFICATION
The iVerify Pakistan team investigated the notification and determined that it is false.
To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan conducted a keyword and reverse image search and forensic analysis of visuals using AI tools.
Several users, including PML-N supporters, have been sharing a video on social media platforms X and Facebook since October 14, 2026, allegedly showing PTI MNA Shahid Khattak daring the government to hang PTI founder Imran Khan. However, the video is doctored using AI.
Supporters of the PTI launched a long march from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa toward Islamabad to demand the release of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The federal government imposed an emergency and governor’s rule in KP on Oct 11, 2026, following the president’s approval of the recommendations by the federal cabinet. The measures were approved under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution.
A couple of hours after the imposition of emergency was announced, KP Information Minister Shafi Jan, who had been accompanying now-dysfunctional KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on PTI’s long march, claimed that Afridi had been taken into custody.
The PTI and other opposition parties have roundly criticised the federal coalition for the move.
HOW IT STARTED
On Oct 13, an X account that appears to be anti-PTI based on its past posts, shared a short 10-second video allegedly showing Khattak challenging the government to go ahead and hang Imran.
The caption of the post read: “Shahid Khattak has presented a new challenge to the government after the emergency. If you have the courage, then go ahead and hang Khan — show us!”
The transcript of the video is provided below:
“If their plan is to hang Khan, let them try. If Khan is hanged, the response they receive will be remembered by their future generations. If they have the guts, let them go ahead and hang Khan.”
The video gained 39,619 views.
Wajahat Kazmi, the chairman of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority’s Sindh Council of Complaints, also shared the same video a few hours later with the following caption: “This is really worrying considering the past track record of PTI and their challenges being fulfilled.”
His post accumulated 13,498 views.
A user who appeared to be a PML-N supporter, based on their past posts, also shared the same video with a similar context on X, which garnered 46,732 views.
Other PML-N supporters on X also shared the same video in a similar context, as can be 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 affairs regarding PTI and Imran.
A keyword search was conducted to verify whether any credible Pakistani or local news outlets had reported on the alleged remarks made by Khattak, but nothing was found to corroborate it.
A reverse image search conducted to trace the source of the video yielded the same visuals shared by a PTI supporter on October 5, 2026, captioning the statement made by Khattak:
“Shahid Khattak warns Mohsin Naqvi upon arrival in Peshawar.
You will impose governor’s rule at your whim; we will remove it at our whim. I am warning them — there is no one powerful; the only powerful is Allah’s being, and Allah has given power on earth to the people. You will not be able to endure it.
Shahid Khattak.”
Khattak can be heard saying while responding to a reporter: “In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Powerful is Allah’s being. Allah’s being is powerful. And after that, Allah has given power to the people, not to the individuals and those who consider themselves to be God on earth, who, God forbid, are making themselves pharaohs; the people should protect them. The people will not leave them.
What do they think? That they will appoint the governor to rule? That they will announce an emergency? And these people will sit comfortably? No, they will not be able to tolerate it.
I am just warning you. I am warning you. The rest is up to you. Do it. It is up to you. Do it. You will do it. You will do it as you please. We will remove it as we please. We will remove it as we please.”
Similarly, a local media outlet, Star Asia TV, also shared the same video on the same day with a similar context, with the following caption: “Reacting to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s arrival in Peshawar, Shahid Khattak said, ‘You may impose governor’s rule at your will, but we will remove it at our will.’”
As the video shows, Khattak made no such remarks as shown in the viral video.
Furthermore, the video was analysed using AI forensic analysis tools to further corroborate its authenticity.
Hive Detect showed that the video and its audio were AI-generated at the same time.
The video was further analysed using AI audio detection tools Deepfake Total and Fake-o-Metre, which also labelled the audio as AI-generated.
FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE
The claim that a viral video shows PTI MNA Shahid Khattak daring the government to hang Imran Khan is false.
The clip is doctored and has been dubbed over with AI-generated audio.
EVIDENCE AND REFERENCES
Oct 5, 2026, X post:
https://x.com/ahmad__bobak/status/2106894326085333328?s=20
Oct 5, 2026, Star Asia TV Facebook post:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2509601166191659