During the recent spell of heavy rains, cloudbursts, and devastating floods across various districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, social media was flooded with a storm of rumors, fake news, disinformation, and AI-generated videos. 

This wave of misleading content not only created panic among the public but also disrupted ongoing rescue and relief operations. 

Our observations revealed that along with regular users, prominent influencers and even official social media accounts of media organizations actively shared such misleading material. 

After thorough verification and fact-checking, TNN confirmed that most of these claims were false and misleading.

Last week, amid the floods in Buner district, a Facebook account named “Dr. Muhammad Afnan Qaiser” claimed that a school building, along with 150 children inside, had been washed away by floodwaters. Similarly, the page “Pak Nurses Diary” posted that Dr. Sawera Parkash had donated Rs. 50 million to Alkhidmat Foundation Buner. 

Also Read: Minority Families in KP Left Struggling After Devastating Floods, Await Government Aid

Both claims turned out to be false during the investigation, and Dr. Sawera Parkash herself released a video statement denying the report. 

In another case, a user named “Abbas Sangeen” shared a video of a commercial building, claiming it was the Saddar Plaza in Peshawar destroyed by floods. Fact-checking revealed the footage was actually from Mingora Bazaar in Swat.

The chain of misinformation didn’t stop there. An infographic circulated on social media falsely attributed a statement to journalist Saleem Safi, alleging that “90% of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s forests were contracted out to Umar Ayub, Ali Amin Gandapur, and Junaid Akbar’s group, and they are responsible for the floods.” This claim was later proven completely false. Saleem Safi, through his official account on X (formerly Twitter), dismissed the claim as fake news and clarified that such fabricated statements in his name mislead the public.

Meanwhile, fake videos also surfaced online. A Facebook user, “Rashid Mehmood,” posted a short clip showing a smiling child sitting near bushes by a rainwater stream with the caption: “A miracle! This child survived a flash flood in Bishnoi village, Buner.” The child’s clean clothes and safe condition raised doubts. Online verification confirmed that the video was AI-generated.

Adding to the problem, the official Facebook page of international media outlet The National uploaded a video depicting cloudbursts and catastrophic flooding in Buner, which garnered millions of views. However, local journalist Izharullah declared that the footage was AI-generated. He noted that while fake content flooded social media, it was alarming that a Pakistani TV channel also aired unverified videos, further confusing the public. He added that some real videos were also shared, but they belonged to floods in a neighboring country and were wrongly linked to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s disaster.

Speaking about the impact of misinformation on rescue efforts, Rescue 1122 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa spokesperson Bilal Ahmad Faizi stated that during major emergencies, they frequently face a surge in fake news and fabricated videos. “During the recent floods in Swat, Bajaur, and Buner, unverified messages spread fear and disrupted rescue operations,” he said.

He explained that sometimes rescue teams are dispatched based on false reports instead of real emergencies, resulting in wasted time and resources. Bilal Faizi urged people not to share unverified news or videos on social media. He also revealed that Rescue 1122 regularly receives thousands of fake calls, and during large-scale disasters, disinformation multiplies this challenge.

Asad Baig, founder and CEO of Media Matters for Democracy, commented on the situation, saying that fake news and disinformation spread rapidly during any major incident. “For example, after a plane crash, fake videos and audio clips immediately start circulating, shared by users for attention and views,” he said. He emphasized the importance of institutions like NDMA and PDMA promptly alerting the public about potential fake content and urging reliance on credible sources only.

Baig warned that in today’s era, spreading disinformation has become easier than ever, with AI and deepfake tools enabling the creation of fake videos within minutes. He also pointed out that sometimes genuine videos are dismissed as fake, undermining public trust and increasing risks. “In several cases, people ignored authentic videos thinking they were fake, only to end up in danger while traveling,” he said.

He recommended that government agencies clearly communicate which official sources are trustworthy and which are not—a model that worked effectively during the COVID-19 pandemic and should be applied in other emergencies. He also stressed the need to identify local sources for verification, so if a video emerges from, say, Gilgit, it can be cross-checked with local authorities. “Until a coordinated strategy is adopted at the government and media levels, this problem cannot be solved,” he concluded.