A video filmed in 2017 showing religious scholars calling on Pakistanis not to vote for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) resurfaced in a misleading context ahead of the elections in February 2024. The call was in fact made after the PML-N called in the military to handle a protest at the time. A former president of the Faisalabad Press Club — where the video was filmed — told AFP the clip showed a press conference held in November 2017 in response to the crackdown.
“Fatwa of scholars: Voting for PML-N is a sin and forbidden!” reads a post shared on social media platform X on January 15. “This fatwa was unanimously given by scholars across the country. Deliver the video to all Muslims.”
The 27-second video shows a group of Islamic scholars at a press conference with the “Faisalabad Press Club” signage in the background. The logo of Pakistani news outlet “24 News HD” can also be seen at the bottom of the clip.
“PML-N’s leaders have lost the right to rule over this country according to Shariat, legal, constitutional and moral values. Voting for them in light of the Koran and Sunnah (the sayings and practices of the Prophet Muhammad) is ‘haram’ (Islamically forbidden), illegal, and a sin,” a scholar says while addressing the audience.
The post has over 6,600 shares and over 117,000 views. The video has been additionally shared on X here, here and here.
Pakistan’s two dynastic parties — the army-backed PML-N and the Pakistan Peoples Party — have reached a power-sharing agreement that will return Shehbaz Sharif to the premiership after the February 8 election. But the deal has left out politicians loyal to jailed former prime minister Imran Khan despite them winning the most seats in this month’s vote.
David Turner is a globe-trotting journalist who brings a global perspective to our readers. With a commitment to shedding light on international events, he explores complex geopolitical issues, offering a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.