Viral El-Sayed video on Imran Khan is old, not new, fact-check finds

A viral video of US Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed criticizing Pakistan over Imran Khan's imprisonment is misleading, according to iVerify Pakistan. The clip dates to August 2026, before his election win. Social media users, including Khan's son Kasim Khan, shared it on X on Nov. 9, 2026, as a recent statement.

Is the viral video of Abdul El-Sayed criticizing Pakistan recent?

No. The footage is from August 2026, when El-Sayed was still the Democratic Senate nominee from Michigan. He spoke at a Pakistan Association of America event in metro Detroit. The clip resurfaced after his election victory, and users shared it without its original date or context.

El-Sayed was elected to represent Michigan as a Democrat and will become the first Muslim senator in the United States after taking the oath of office. He had challenged the Democratic establishment and criticized some of the party's longstanding positions ahead of the US midterm elections, particularly its policies toward Israel and the war in Gaza.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has campaigned for Khan's release since his imprisonment in 2023 in connection with the Toshakhana case. The issue has remained a source of tension between the opposition party and the government.

How did the El-Sayed video go viral?

On Nov. 9, a pro-PTI account shared the video on X. It showed El-Sayed criticizing the Pakistani government over Khan's imprisonment and comparing the situation with dictatorship in Egypt. The post received 161,039 views but did not say when or where the footage was recorded.

The caption thanked the senator-elect for speaking out against what it described as an authoritarian system in Pakistan that used democratic rhetoric to conceal repression. It said his remarks offered clarity and a platform for people seeking justice and accountability.

Kasim Khan also shared the video, praising El-Sayed for speaking out against what he described as a dictatorship in Pakistan. He accused those in power of using violence and intimidation to stay in position and said they had "sold their souls for wealth and power."

Kasim Khan also alleged that if his father died in isolation, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and his associates would be responsible, claiming they feared the threat Khan posed to their financial interests. That post received 130,385 views. Several smaller accounts on X and Facebook then circulated the same footage, thanking El-Sayed as though he had spoken after his election victory.

How did iVerify Pakistan trace the El-Sayed video?

iVerify Pakistan began the fact-check because of the video's wide circulation and public interest in Khan's release and the US lawmaker's comments. The footage was marked "resurfaced video." A board visible in the background referred to the 50th anniversary of the Pakistan Association of America in Michigan.

A reverse image search traced the footage to a video published by Indian news channel WION on Aug. 24, 2026. WION's caption said El-Sayed, then a Democratic Senate nominee from Michigan, had criticized Pakistan's military leadership, describing it as a dictatorship that suppressed democracy and human rights.

On the same date, Niraj Warikoo, a staff writer at the Detroit Free Press, posted about the remarks on X. Warikoo said El-Sayed had spoken at a Pakistani-American event in the Detroit area, calling for democracy in Pakistan and criticizing the imprisonment and intimidation of political figures, including Khan.

What did El-Sayed say in his August speech?

A keyword search led iVerify to an Aug. 24, 2026, report by Indian outlet The Print, titled "Pakistan's democracy void, Imran Khan feature in speech of El-Sayed, in race to be 1st Muslim US senator." The report said he had criticized the state of democracy in Pakistan, arguing that people should be able to contest public office without facing imprisonment or intimidation.

He did not name Khan in that part of the speech, but stressed that democracy required freedom of speech and the right to run for public office. A separate WION report from the same day was titled "Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed backs Imran Khan's release, calls for end to US Aid to Pakistan."

That report said El-Sayed had called for Khan's release and described Pakistan's government as a military dictatorship. Speaking at the association's annual gathering in metro Detroit, he said "democracy is not being allowed to take its place."

He also criticized the imprisonment and intimidation of political leaders. He called for an end to US financial assistance to Pakistan and Egypt, arguing that their status as American allies should not shield them from criticism.

What is the fact-check verdict on the El-Sayed video?

iVerify Pakistan rated the claim that the video shows fresh remarks by El-Sayed after his election victory as misleading. The footage dates to August 2026, when he was still a Democratic Senate nominee. It was recirculated on social media on Nov. 9 without its original context.

This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan - a project of IBA-CEJ and UNDP.