Have any questions? Contact@factcheckpakistan.org
Viral image of Imran Khan exercising in jail courtyard in AI-generated
A picture went viral on social media showing former prime minister Imran Khan exercising in a courtyard of Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi where he is currently imprisoned.
The picture was widely shared by several PTI followers and supporters who claimed the party founder was healthy and was regularly exercising in jail. The picture has been shared here, here, here, and here.
Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, claimed the viral picture was authentic and not doctored. She said their family recently met the jailed political leader and he was in good health.
Speaking to the media after her appearance at an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi, she said, “This picture of Imran Khan is real. When I first saw it, I even sent it to someone to check if it might be AI, because he looks exactly like him. I am certain it is Imran Khan himself. The picture seems to be from the summer. This is how he is in jail.”
Aleema Khan said the PTI founder was being kept in solitary confinement. Referring to the image that surfaced on social media, she said the picture appeared to be old but seemed genuine, adding that the media should also verify its authenticity.
She said that Imran Khan never gave up two things: faith in Allah and exercise. “Even when confined, he manages to exercise inside his cell,” she said.
Fact Check
Fact Check determined the picture is AI-generated and thus deemed fake. This is evident by the various inconsistencies such as the similar faces of the policemen in the background, a characteristic of AI-generated images.
It can also be observed that broken prison grill merges with the policeman’s trousers, while the synthetic look of Imran Khan is another key observation.
The picture was also analyzed by AI content detection softwares that further confirmed that the picture has indeed been generated by AI tools.
An analysis by Google Gemini said, “Based on the digital watermark embedded in the file, most or all of this image was generated or heavily edited using Google AI.
“The image, which appears to depict former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan doing push-ups while in custody, is not a genuine photograph.”
Thus, it has been determined that picture of Imran Khan exercising in jail courtyard is AI-generated.
