A document circulating on social media, presented as a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Home Department notification ordering the arrest of PTI workers, is fake and AI-generated. That is the finding of the Express Tribune’s iVerify fact-checking desk, which examined the viral document on Wednesday.
The so-called notification is not an authentic government order. The document was produced with artificial intelligence tools rather than issued by any department.
What the viral claim said
The document being shared online carried the appearance of an official communication from the K-P Home Department. It purported to direct action against workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.
Screenshots of such documents travel fast on WhatsApp, Facebook and X, particularly in moments of political tension. The KP emergency, imposed on October 11 after the breakdown of talks between the Centre and the PTI-led provincial government, has created exactly that environment, with the emergency proclamation now endorsed by both houses of parliament.
The iVerify check concluded the document was not issued by the Home Department at all. It was an AI-generated fabrication made to resemble one.
A pattern since the emergency
This is not the first fabrication of its kind in recent days. A wave of AI-generated images and recycled footage has circulated since the emergency and governor’s rule were imposed in the province on October 11, and several fact-checkers have already debunked the worst of it.
On October 12, WE News published a fact check on an AI-generated image showing former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Sohail Afridi being arrested. The image was entirely fabricated, yet it spread rapidly amid the genuine political developments.
Earlier this month, a video circulated by PTI-supporting social media accounts, purportedly showing security forces arresting PTI workers, was found to be two years old. A review of the footage showed it dated back to September 12, 2024 and captured a security operation in the Kharlachi border area of Kurram district following sectarian clashes in Parachinar. It had no connection to PTI workers or current political arrests.
The Tribune’s iVerify desk also published a fact check on October 13 debunking viral visuals presented as showing a tense law and order situation in K-P after the imposition of governor’s rule and the emergency.
The pattern is consistent. Genuine developments, including the emergency proclamation, the Senate’s endorsing resolution and calls for dialogue from PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, supply the raw material. AI tools then supply convincing fakes, old visuals get stripped of their dates and context, and partisan accounts amplify them before anyone checks.
Why official-looking documents deceive
A fabricated notification works because it borrows the language and layout of real government communication. Official orders typically carry file numbers, dates, subject lines and signatory names. AI-generated text can reproduce all of that convincingly, and screenshots remove the one thing that would expose the fraud: a link to an official source.
What readers should check before sharing
Look for the original on the issuing department’s official website or social media handles. Check whether established news outlets have reported it; an order to arrest political workers would be major news. Inspect the image for AI-generation flaws such as inconsistent fonts, blurred seals or garbled text.
For official actions in K-P since the emergency, readers should note the province is operating under the provincial emergency framework, so claims about who is ordering what need verification against that reality.
The Tribune’s iVerify desk’s verdict on this one is clear. The viral Home Department notification on arrests of PTI workers is fake, it was generated by artificial intelligence, and sharing it as genuine only spreads misinformation in a province where the truth is already hard to follow.
Frequently asked questions
Is the viral K-P Home Department notification real?
No. The Express Tribune’s iVerify desk found on October 14 that the document ordering arrests of PTI workers is fake and AI-generated. It was not issued by the Home Department.
Why are fake notifications spreading now?
The October 11 emergency and governor’s rule in K-P created a politically charged environment. AI tools can now produce convincing official-looking documents quickly, and partisan accounts amplify them before verification.
What other misinformation has been debunked this week?
An AI-generated image of Sohail Afridi being arrested, a two-year-old security-operation video presented as current PTI worker arrests, and viral visuals falsely shown as a tense law and order situation in K-P have all been debunked by fact-checkers in recent days.
How can readers verify an official notification?
Check the issuing department’s official website or verified handles, see whether established news outlets have reported it, and inspect the image for AI-generation flaws such as inconsistent fonts, blurred seals or garbled text. Treat screenshot-only documents from partisan accounts with suspicion.
