Video of army chief, Punjab CM attending Lahore event amid recent Balochistan terrorist attacks

Rating Justification

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

To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan conducted a reverse image search and a keyword search to find the original video.

A post from an Indian propaganda account on social media platform X on July 13, 2025, shared a video of the army chief and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz attending a function, alleging that it took place amid recent terrorist attacks in Balochistan. However, the video is from February 2025, when they attended a horse and cattle show.

On July 10, at least nine passengers travelling on two Punjab-bound coaches were abducted and killed by unidentified armed men in Sur-Dakai area, on the border between Balochistan’s Zhob and Loralai districts. The Balochistan Liberation Front, a banned outfit, later claimed responsibility for the attack. A spokesman for the group said they had killed the nine people after blocking the highway.

The Balo­chistan government’s spo­kes­­person had said terrorist groups had carried out attacks at three different places: Kakat, Mastung and Sur-Dakai.

HOW IT STARTED

On July 13, an Indian propaganda account, as indicated by its bio and past posts, shared a video on X of Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and CM Maryam attending a function.

The caption of the post said: “While the Baloch fighters have launched Operation Baam and have killed more than 100 Pakistani Punjabi security personnel in the last 72 hours. Leading from the front, Failed Marshal Asim Munir is sitting in a five-star hotel in Lahore, exploring the possibility of getting Maryam Nawaz.”

The post gained 218,000 views.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in affairs related to the army chief.

A reverse image search led to a YouTube video uploaded on February 24, 2025, by local media outlet Samaa News titled: “Army Chief Gen Asim Munir, Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz enter horse and cattle show together | SAMAA TV”

A similar video was also shared by Express News on YouTube on February 24 with the following caption: “Maryam Nawaz and army chief’s majestic entry| Horse And Cattle Show 2025 Farewell Ceremony at Lahore.”

Both videos showed the two officials in the same clothing as the viral video under investigation.

A keyword search for “COAS”, “Maryam Nawaz” and “Lahore” yielded a February 26 YouTube video from digital news outlet ETV 247 Urdu showing the two seated from the same perspective and angle as the viral video.

It also led to a news report by state broadcaster PTV on February 25, 2025, titled: “Horse and cattle show: COAS attends concluding ceremony as chief guest”.

According to the report, COAS Munir had attended the concluding ceremony of the National Horse and Cattle Show 2025 in Lahore as the chief guest, with CM Maryam also in attendance.

The event marked a celebration of Pakistan’s cultural and agricultural heritage, featuring performances by athletes, cultural performers, and livestock parades.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: MISLEADING

The claim that a video shows the army chief and CM Maryam attending a function at a Lahore hotel amid the recent terrorist attacks in Balochistan is misleading.

The video from February 2025 shows that the two attended the concluding ceremony of a horse and cattle show in Lahore, and is unconnected to the recent attacks.

Evidence and References

February 24, 2025, Samaa News YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Crb2WTgazAI

February 24, 2025, Express News YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHe4T2tQTZo

February 26, 2025, ETV 247 Urdu YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPTxKYovcEE

February 25, 2025, PTV news report:
https://ptv.com.pk/ptvworld/newsdetail/2679