The Pahalgam terrorist attack occurred on April 22, when five armed militants targeted tourists in Baisaran Valley, near Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The assailants, armed with M4 carbines and AK-47s, killed 26 civilians, making it the deadliest attack on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
In response, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, conducting precise strikes on multiple terrorist facilities within Pakistani territory without crossing the Line of Control or the international border. The operation utilised indigenous Akash missiles and suicide drones, showcasing India’s advanced military capabilities. Later, Pakistan launched a retaliatory military campaign named Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos on May 10, 2025.
In the above context, the video is widely being shared on social media in which a woman is being assaulted by some men. The video is shared with a caption stating that she was being assaulted for asking for proof of Pakistan’s attack on India.
A social media user shared the video (post link withheld due to the violent nature of the video) and wrote, “A Pakistani woman asked for proof of strikes on India. In response, 6-7 Pakistani men beat her and tore her clothes.”
SouthCheck found that the claim is false. The viral video shows people assaulting a transgender woman in Pakistan.
On a Google reverse image search, we found that the same video was uploaded by an Instagram page on April 23. The video was shared with a caption suggesting that the incident happened in Vehari, Pakistan’s Punjab. Some people were seen kidnapping a transgender person by severely torturing her and firing gunshots.
Taking a hint, we searched with relevant keywords and found that the incident was also reported by The Express Tribune on April 29. According to the report, on April 23, in the Daniwal area of Vehari, Punjab, a transgender woman was publicly assaulted by armed men after resisting their advances. The attackers, identified as Rana Phool, Rana Moon and their associates, beat her, cut her hair, and attempted to abduct her in a car. They fled the scene while firing shots. A video of the incident went viral on social media, prompting police action. Subsequently, suspects Atif and Imran were arrested from Hasilpur and Tahir Javed from Arifwala. The victim sustained injuries and was hospitalised. A case was registered, and legal proceedings are underway.
We further found that the Vehari police had tweeted about the incident. According to the tweet, on April 23, the three accused tortured Shehzadi alias Ramadan in a street and tried to kidnap her by firing in the air. Later, the accused were arrested.
Therefore, we can ascertain that the viral video is old and unrelated to Pak’s operation.
