Manipulated Video Falsely Attributes Threat Over New Provinces to DG ISPR

A viral video claiming that DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry warned of severe consequences for anyone obstructing the creation of new provinces in Pakistan has been found to be digitally manipulated.

The video uses genuine footage from a July 31, 2026 press conference but alters the apparent remarks of the DG ISPR to make it appear that he issued a threat against opponents of new provinces.

What does the viral video claim?

A video shared on social media appears to show Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry discussing the creation of new provinces.

The manipulated clip attributes remarks to him suggesting that anyone who creates hurdles in the process of forming new provinces would face serious consequences, regardless of their ethnic or community background.

The footage was circulated on Facebook and Instagram amid an ongoing political debate in Pakistan over the possibility of creating new provinces or administrative units.

What did the DG ISPR actually say?

A review of the original DG ISPR press conference held on July 31 shows that Chaudhry did not make the remarks attributed to him in the viral video.

During the press conference, he was asked about comments by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi regarding the creation of new administrative units.

Chaudhry described Naqvi's remarks as his personal opinion and said the military would not comment directly on the proposal.

He instead stated that decisions regarding administrative restructuring should reflect the will of the people and be carried out through constitutional and legal procedures.

The original recording contains no statement warning that people opposing the creation of provinces would face severe consequences.

Viral footage was digitally altered

A comparison of the viral clip with the original July 31 press conference shows that the setting, uniform, microphones and background are identical.

However, the speech in the viral version does not match the authentic recording. The mouth movements also appear to have been altered to synchronise with the fabricated audio.

This indicates that genuine footage from the press conference was edited to make Chaudhry appear to deliver remarks he never made.

AI detection also indicates manipulation

The viral clip was analysed using multiple deepfake-detection tools.

DetectVideo AI assessed the video as highly likely to be AI-generated, while DeepFake-O-Meter also found strong indications of manipulation. Three of its four tested models returned high probabilities of deepfake manipulation, particularly in areas related to audio-visual speech and lip-sync inconsistencies.

However, automated AI-detection results were not the sole basis for the assessment. The original July 31 recording provides the strongest evidence that the words attributed to Chaudhry do not appear in his actual remarks.

Video circulated widely on social media

The manipulated clip was shared across multiple Facebook and Instagram accounts, with one Facebook reel receiving thousands of reactions, comments and shares.

Its circulation came as political debate intensified over proposals for new provinces and administrative units in Pakistan, potentially increasing the likelihood of the misleading video being believed and reshared.

Verdict

9 News HD Fact Check: FALSE

The viral video is manipulated. It uses authentic footage of DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry from his July 31, 2026 press conference but falsely alters his speech to make him appear to threaten people opposing the creation of new provinces.

In the original footage, Chaudhry said that any administrative restructuring should be based on public opinion and carried out through constitutional and legal procedures.