CLAIM
A video is circulating on social media with the claim that it shows atrocities that the Kashmiris are facing. The video, showing police beating some people up and dragging them, makes an appeal to end the atrocities on Kashmiris. The claim along with the video reads: “या अल्लाह कश्मीर का जुल्म खत्म करने के लिए कोई सद्दाम हुसैन जैसा फरिश्ता भेज दे.अमीन "
(Translated: God, to end the atrocities in Kashmir, send an angel like Saddam Hussain. Amen)
The Quint received a query on the claim made along with the video via its WhatsApp helpline.
TRUE OR FALSE?
The claim that comes along with the video is false. The video is not from Kashmir, but Lahore in Pakistan. It dates back to June 2014 when Punjab Police (Pakistan) had allegedly opened fire on protesters of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT).
WHAT WE FOUND OUT
At the beginning of the video, a text strip in the video reads: “Police officers evicting ambulance driver, Abdul Ghaffar, from the Minhaj Ambulance and violently arresting him.” We also saw a text strip at 0:22 seconds saying, “Zulfiqar Butt from Manga Mundi being arrested”
We searched on Google Maps and found that Manga Mandi lies in Pakistan’s Lahore. Consequently, we searched on YouTube using keywords ‘Lahore police minhaj ambulance’ and found a video published by Pakistani news channel 24 News HD in February 2017 with the title: ‘ATC Lahore rejects plea to summon PM, CM Punjab, in Model Town tragedy case’
The video had similar visuals as that of the viral video.
Further, we searched on YouTube using keywords ‘lahore model town police attack’ and found a video published in July 2014 with the title ‘2014 Lahore Massacre: Killing the unarmed PAT workers’
The visuals seen in the viral video are same as the one seen in the 2014 YouTube video from 08:52 minutes- 09:37 minutes.
The description along with the video mentions that it is a documentary and reads: “The Punjab Police shot directly and indiscriminately at unarmed party workers of Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri outside his residence in Lahore who were protecting his house and his party secretariat. The direct shooting killed 14 party workers and more than 150 injured with bullet injuries.”
WHAT HAD HAPPENED IN LAHORE IN 2014?
On 17 June 2014, at least 14 people, including two women, were killed when Punjab Police (Pakistan) allegedly opened fire on members of political party Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), IANS reported. According to a BBC report, police fired shots and tear gas to disperse protesters at the offices of Tahirul Qadri, who was the leader of PAT.
Around 100 workers were also injured in the clashes over removal of barricades outside the PAT secretariat in Lahore's Model Town area.
The incident took place when Sharif was the Chief Minister of Punjab province.
(With inputs from BBC and IANS)
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