A recently viral video on social media features a man resembling journalist Imran Riaz. Due to his white beard and stature, the man is easily mistaken for Riaz. However, a detailed inspection reveals that the individual in the video is not Riaz.
Despite the clarity of the person’s identity, the video has been misused by adversaries of Imran Riaz to propagate false claims across social media platforms, alleging that the footage depicts him dancing to a song from the political party Tehreek-e-Insaf.
It has been observed that supporters of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) have actively circulated this video, often failing to verify its authenticity. Yet, most social media users have identified the individual in the video as Varun Arora, an Indian choreographer renowned for his dance videos on Instagram.
Mustafa Chaudhry, a comedian known for his affiliations with the PML-N, fueled the video’s spread. He shared the video alongside a casual remark: “If Imran Riaz bhai is dancing and enjoying himself, what’s the harm?”
The incident is a stark reminder of how quickly misinformation can disseminate and underscores the critical importance of fact-checking before sharing content on social media platforms.
