A viral video circulating on social media, purportedly showing Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif criticizing his own party, the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), has been debunked as misleading and inaccurate.
The clip, which has garnered over a million views, claims to depict a recent speech by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif criticizing the PML-N for failing to uplift impoverished communities. However, a fact-check reveals that the speech was taken out of context and edited to mislead viewers.
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The video in question features a speech by PM Shehbaz where he appears to say, “The lives of the poor people did not change. But we kept lining our pockets day and night. We left no stone unturned to ensure our political opponents are thrown in jails. This is why today we have a begging bowl in our hands.”
Contrary to the online claims, this speech dates back to 2023 and was directed at the government of his political rival, Imran Khan, not his own party. PM Shehbaz’s remarks were critical of the corruption and lack of progress under Khan’s administration, which held power from July 2018 to April 2022.
A thorough investigation into the video’s origins revealed that it was initially uploaded online on July 22, 2023, following a speech by PM Shehbaz at an event in Sheikhupura, Punjab. The full 31-minute speech underscores PM Shehbaz’s criticisms of Khan’s government, emphasizing issues of corruption and failure to improve the lives of the impoverished.
The misleading editing of PM Shehbaz’s speech suggests internal criticism of his own party, the PML-N, when in fact, his remarks were directed at the preceding government led by Imran Khan.
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