Fact Check: Viral Video Shared by Asad Toor Is from 2020 COVID-19 Lockdown, Not a Recent Incident
A video recently shared by journalist Asad Toor on social media, portraying an Assistant Commissioner allegedly assaulting a street vendor, is not a recent incident. A review of the footage and its timeline shows that the video dates back to 2020, during the enforcement of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in Pakistan.
The clip has been circulated without mentioning its original date, creating the impression that it reflects the current conduct of district administration officials.
The viral post presents the footage as evidence of administrative misconduct and criticizes Pakistan’s civil service and district administration. However, the post does not disclose that the video was recorded during the nationwide COVID-19 lock-down.
The Facts
Verification shows the footage originates from 2020, when Pakistan was experiencing the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic. At the time, federal and provincial governments had imposed strict lock-down measures, and district administrations were tasked with enforcing restrictions on markets, businesses, and public movement.
Assistant Commissioners and other administrative officers were responsible for implementing these government directives and taking action against violations of lock-down orders.
Officer in the Video Is Not the Current Assistant Commissioner
The official visible in the footage is not the current Assistant Commissioner of Khar.
According to available information, the officer shown in the video was serving in the post during 2020 and belonged to the Provincial Management Service (PMS). The current Assistant Commissioner Khar is Amir Wazir, who was not serving in that position when the incident occurred.
Presenting the footage without this context may lead viewers to incorrectly associate the video with the current district administration.
Missing Context Changes the Story
The omission of the video’s original timeline is significant.
Without mentioning that the incident occurred during the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 lock-down, the footage gives the impression that it depicts a recent event. The video therefore lacks essential context needed for audiences to accurately understand when and under what circumstances it was recorded.
Media experts generally consider the omission of key contextual information—such as the date, location, or surrounding circumstances—to be a common source of misinformation, particularly when old videos are re shared as current events.
Rating: Misleading
The viral video is not recent. It was recorded during Pakistan’s 2020 COVID-19 lock-down and shows an administrative operation carried out under pandemic restrictions.
The officer seen in the footage is not the current Assistant Commissioner of Khar, and the video has been recirculated without disclosing its original date and context, creating a misleading impression that it depicts a current incident.
