A viral TikTok video has sparked debate by showing PTI founder Imran Khan with a beard. Shared by PTI supporters, the clip gathered over 21 million views and spread across multiple social media platforms. But the video is fake.
Imran Khan has been incarcerated since August 2023 and has not appeared in public with a beard. A fact-check investigation revealed that the viral clip was digitally altered.
Through reverse image search, the footage was traced back to May 23, 2023, when PTI’s official X account shared a clean-shaven photo of Imran Khan attending a court hearing in Islamabad. The outfit and background in the original image matched the viral video exactly, including the presence of two policemen — one bearded, one clean-shaven.
Further confirmation came from a Geo News report published the same day, which used the same original photo in its coverage of NAB’s questioning of Imran in the £190m settlement case.
The conclusion: the viral claim is false. The video of Imran Khan with a beard has been digitally manipulated and does not represent his current appearance.