PML-N Chakwal leader did urge party members to monitor who their children vote for

The iVerify Pakistan team has checked this content and has established that the claim about a PML-N leader advising members to keep a watchful eye on who their children vote for is true.

To arrive to this verdict, the iVerify Pakistan team investigated the video and found out that it was from a PML-N election meeting in Chakwal on January 15, 2024.

HOW IT STARTED

The earliest mention of the around 90-second long clip that the iVerify Pakistan team found was posted by a PTI supporter on social media platform X on January 17, 2024 with the caption: “Six ticket holders of PML-N Chakwal were sitting on a sofa and everyone is being told to keep an eye on their children at home and they will defeat us.”

The caption did not tell the time or date of the purported political gathering.

In the video, people can be seen gathered in a house’s driveway and garden while a speaker addresses them before offering a prayer.

The relevant transcript of the speaker is below:

“Before the prayer, I want to emphasise one thing to my party’s leaders gathered here which they have to keep in mind. They have to pay special attention to their households, particularly their children, that we somehow aren’t harmed through our households.

Do keep this in mind that the upcoming new generation has went somewhat astray in the last four years and we have to bring them back. If the party gains their votes then no other power can defeat.”

The post was viewed over 21,000 times.

The same video clip and claim were shared by another PTI supporter, gaining over 100,000 views.

The same video was shared by other users, including journalists, here , here and here with view counts of 46,000, 70,000 and 13,000 respectively.

METHODOLOGY

Investigating the video, the iVerify Pakistan team reached out to Dawn‘s Chakwal reporter Nabeel Anwar.

Corroborating the video, the reporter said it was from a PML-N election meeting on Jan 15.

According to the reporter, during a gathering at the residence of PML-N’s district president and PP-20 candidate Chaudhry Mohammad Sultan Haider Ali Khan, a senior party member and renowned trader Haji Nazir Sultan was chosen to offer the prayer at the meeting.

The reporter said the local PML-N leader had given his advice before the prayer, which subsequently began spreading on social media.

According to the reporter, Haider Ali said Sultan was an old party worker and had aired his thoughts.

“Everyone has the right of expression. But this perception is totally wrong that our youth is standing with the PTI,” the PP-20 candidate told the reporter, claiming that the PML-N enjoyed more support from the youth than the PTI did.

BACKGROUND

In the 2018 general elections, the PP-21 and NA-64 constituencies from Chakwal were won by PTI’s Yasir Humayun and Zulfiqar Ali Khan, respectively.

According to a Dawn report, the number of young voters has surged to 56.86 million from 46.43m in 2018 which places them “in a position to play a crucial role in determining the outcome of general elections.

“Analysts believe the huge number of young voters, a majority of whom use social media, could not only influence the electorate using propaganda tools on online platforms, but even alter the electoral scene in several constituencies if they turn out in large numbers on election day.”

The PTI is also considered to enjoy the popular support of the youth.

“One of [Imran] Khan’s greatest strengths has been his popularity among young voters … Over the years, he has utilised social media to build up a vast following of young people,” says a May 24, 2023, report from The Guardian titled: “‘He’s fighting for our future’: Pakistan’s young voters rally behind Imran Khan”

CONCLUSION

The iVerify Pakistan team has determined that the clip circulating on social media is true along with the claim attached to it.

The clip is from a PML-N gathering in Chakwal on Jan 15 where a party member did caution those in attendance regarding who their children would vote for.