A viral video allegedly showing Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman seeking forgiveness during a National Assembly session on October 28 has been found to be doctored using artificial intelligence (AI).
During the October 28 session, Fazl accused the federal government of undermining the Constitution through the imposition of governor’s rule and an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Addressing the National Assembly, he argued that such measures amounted to a forced transfer of power rather than a change driven by public opinion.
He also criticised Defence Minister Khawaja Asif for failing to uphold Parliament’s dignity and called for a new Charter of Democracy to prevent unconstitutional actions and political violence.
Fazl further discussed his efforts to reduce tensions between the federal government and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), claiming that the government had abandoned attempts to reach a political consensus. Rejecting questions about his patriotism, he highlighted his party’s sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and condemned the disrespectful treatment of martyrs.
The JUI-F chief has recently faced criticism from government officials over his remarks about state policies and his support for the PTI.
On October 28, an account known for sharing pro-Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) content posted a video on X, allegedly showing Fazl apologising during the National Assembly session. The post claimed that he had repeatedly sought forgiveness but that the clip was not being widely circulated.
The video received 20,277 views.
In the manipulated footage, a voice attributed to Fazl can be heard saying: “What is my fault? Why are they after me? I have asked for forgiveness, but they are not accepting it. Is my sin greater than PTI? What did I do wrong? Why am I being treated unjustly?”
The speaker then appeared to urge people to question the media over the alleged incident.
Another account supportive of the PML-N circulated the same clip, suggesting that Fazl had apologised in Parliament but that the relevant footage was being deliberately withheld from social media.
Jalal Sherazi, who identifies himself as a coordinator in the Prime Minister’s Office on his X profile, also shared the video, claiming that Fazl had repeatedly discussed seeking an apology during the session.
Shahzad Younas Sheikh, whose profile identifies him as a former spokesperson for Punjab, shared the same footage with a similar claim. His post received 661 views, while Sherazi’s post attracted 1,775 views.
Several other accounts associated with PML-N supporters also circulated the clip with similar captions, further spreading the allegation online.
Given the ongoing political tensions between Fazl and the federal government, particularly over the Centre’s actions in KP and the JUI-F chief’s support for the PTI, a fact-checking investigation was conducted to establish the authenticity of the footage.
A search of credible mainstream media reports found no independent reporting to substantiate the alleged apology.
Further examination of the viral clip revealed inconsistencies between the audio and Fazl’s lip movements, raising suspicions that the footage had been dubbed.
Several AI detection tools were subsequently used to analyse the recording.
Diopter, an AI audio detection tool, classified the audio as 100 per cent AI-generated. Deepfake Total indicated a 75.6 per cent likelihood of AI manipulation, while Hive estimated a 92 per cent probability that the speech was AI-generated.
The SORA AI Video Detector also flagged the footage, assigning it a 66.67 per cent likelihood of being AI-generated.
Additionally, Meta AI’s detector identified a digital watermark in the clip that suggested it had been generated using OpenAI technology.
Although automated detection tools are not definitive proof on their own, their findings, combined with the audio-video inconsistencies and the original recording, supported the conclusion that the viral clip had been manipulated.
A reverse image search led investigators to the original video published on the National Assembly of Pakistan’s official YouTube channel on October 28, 2026. The recording was titled “JUI F Chief/MNA Maulana Fazal Ur Rehman Expresses His Views During National Assembly Session.”
The viral clip corresponds to the section between approximately 3 minutes and 25 seconds and 3 minutes and 51 seconds of the original recording.
However, the original footage contains no apology or any of the statements heard in the viral version.
Instead, Fazl referred to discussions involving PTI leaders, including Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser. He explained that efforts had been made to facilitate dialogue and secure acceptance of the PTI’s mandate.
Fazl said he had not met the prime minister for four to five months and described his efforts as an attempt to prevent bloodshed, protect citizens, counter extremism and create space for both the government and the opposition to resolve their differences.
At no point in the original speech did he make the remarks attributed to him in the circulating clip.
The findings were also consistent with a report published by The Express Tribune on October 29, 2026, titled “Fazl Calls for New Charter of Democracy.” The report stated that the JUI-F chief had urged political parties to settle disputes through dialogue rather than unconstitutional measures or violence.
Further verification identified the original footage shared by Jamiat Digital Media on X on October 28. That recording also contained no apology or similar remarks.
The claim that Maulana Fazlur Rehman apologised during the October 28 National Assembly session is false. The viral video has been manipulated, with AI-generated audio dubbed over the original footage. The authentic recording shows Fazl discussing political dialogue, efforts to ease tensions and the need to prevent violence, rather than seeking forgiveness.
