A video circulating on social media claims to show the former Chief Justice to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Qazi Faez Isa, in which he said in an interview that his role in the judgments against former Prime Minister Imran Khan was “limited” and that the establishment affected the lawsuits.
The claim is false as the clip has been documented.
Assertion
On March 8, an account on YouTube with over 485,000 subscribers published a video alleged with the former Chief Justice.
The video, Caption, “Qazi Faez Isa Shocking Interview in London,” includes a 54-second clip in which ISA is allegedly asked if he has a “personal animosity” with Khan. The interviewer also implies that it seemed that Isa was not “in the mood to do justice” in cases related to Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI).
In the clip, Isa is heard to answer: “Look, Pakistan’s system is a bit complicated. If you think like the Supreme Court, I had all the powers you are wrong. My role in all the cases you are talking about was limited. Some forces that are not visible on the media also have an impact in these cases that I cannot name here. “
The video got over 50,000 views at the time of writing.
A screenshot from the video was also shared on X (formerly Twitter) with the headline: “In Pakistan, justice is done only if the army wants it. Some generals had ordered Khan under pressure, former Chief Justice said in the interview. “
Fact
This claim is false. No such statement was made by the former Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa in the interview, from which these clips and screens have been shared online.
The actual conversation took place on October 9, 2022 during a session in the Oxford Union, a debate society at the University of Oxford. It is important to note that this interview was recorded before Isa even became Chief Justice of Pakistan. He was raised to the position in September 2023, while the interview was filmed in 2022.
GEO FACT CHECK Review the full one hour hour conversation sent on the official YouTube channel in Oxford Union. The interview does not include questions or discussions related to Imran Khan, nor does Qazi Faez Isa make any claims that his role is limited or the establishment affecting litigation.
The complete conversation can be seen below.
In the viral video clips, the words spoken are not in accordance with the previous judge’s lip movements, indicating that the recordings have been edited. This is a common sign of manipulated videos pointed out by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) guide to detecting deepfakes.
For more information on how to see Deepfakes, read Mit’s Guide here.
Judgment The video circulating online incorrectly represents the 2022 interview with Qazi Faez Isa. The former Chief Justice did not claim that his role in the cases was limited or that the company affected the decisions. The recordings are edited to mislead viewers.
