Viral Shahid Afridi clip on fuel prices is unrelated to latest hike, fact-check finds

Islamabad: A viral video being circulated on social media does not show former cricketer Shahid Afridi defending the government after the latest increase in petroleum prices, according to a fact-check, which found that the clip was recorded before the recent hike and was part of an official fuel conservation campaign.

The fact-check said multiple social media users, many of whom appeared to be supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, had been sharing the video since Thursday while claiming it showed Afridi asking people to back the government unconditionally after the sharp rise in fuel prices.

A day earlier, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik had announced that petrol prices had been raised to Rs458.4 per litre and high-speed diesel to Rs520.35 per litre. The increase was announced during a press conference also attended by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb. The energy ministry later issued a notification stating that petrol had gone up by Rs137.24 per litre and diesel by Rs184.49 per litre.

One X user shared the clip with the caption: Pakistanis, look!! To rub salt in your wounds, Lala has been brought into the field. Egg Afridi is saying, petrol prices have been increased, support the government. The post received 182,000 views.

The video itself includes Afridi saying:

Peace be upon you, friends. I am Shahid Afridi. Because of the war, the global energy crisis is in front of us. Pakistan is still, Alhamdulillah, much better than many other countries. Supporting the government is the most important thing. Being a Pakistani, we should try to follow the steps taken by the government so that there is no obstacle in the development of this country.

According to the fact-check, journalist Tariq Mateen posted the same clip with the caption: A person devoid of shame. That post drew 180,000 views. YouTuber and former anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan also reposted the video with a thumbs-up emoji, where it received 57,000 views. PTI leader and former deputy speaker of the National Assembly Qasim Khan Suri shared it on Instagram with the caption: This shameless person is not even ashamed of lying!

India Today also published the same claim in a news article, while an Indian account described as a propaganda account based on its past posts shared the clip on X with the caption: Afridi is supporting high petrol price. That post received 19,000 views. Similar posts also appeared across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X, collectively drawing more than 300,000 views, according to the fact-check.

Earlier posts traced to April 1

The Express Tribune said a reverse image search led to an X post dated April 1, 2026, in which the same video had been shared by a user appearing to support PML-N. The caption read: Pakistani sportsmen are raising powerful awareness about responsible fuel use as an effective way to guide the public during tough times. After massive subsidies, conservation is now everyone’s responsibility. Kudos to Attaullah Tarar.

The fact-check said this showed the video had been online before the latest fuel price announcement. The clip ends with the official logo of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting promoting fuel conservation as a national responsibility.

Pakistan launched a national austerity campaign in March to deal with a severe energy crisis and reduce fuel consumption. The measures, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, included a 50–70% cut in government vehicle use, a four-day work week with 50-80% of staff working from home, and limits on official events and foreign travel.

A keyword search also found the same video on Discover Pakistan’s Facebook page with a caption referring to rising Middle East tensions and a fuel conservation campaign in Pakistan. Tribune Edit had shared a collage on April 2, 2026 featuring Afridi’s clip along with similar videos by other Pakistani celebrities.

Those included Punjabi folk singer Arif Lohar, actress Bushra Ansari, singer Waris Baig and others, with the videos ending in the same Ministry of Information and Broadcasting graphic for the austerity campaign. A similar campaign post was also shared by the official Facebook account of PML-N, the fact-check said.

Afridi responds

Afridi addressed the issue on his official X account on Thursday, saying the clip was being used out of context.

Some malicious elements are trying to create a false impression by sharing my old video in which I was defending the increase in petrol prices.

The fact is that this video was made before the recent increase. It was simply an awareness video about energy conservation and reduced usage, which was prepared at the request of the Ministry of Information, Atta Tarar. The recent increase in prices will break the back of the already crushed public, which cannot be defended,

He also wrote:

For friends with low intellect and little knowledge: explanation — twisting this message for nefarious political purposes and attempting to mislead the public in this manner is shameful,

The Express Tribune rated the claim as misleading, saying the viral clip predates the latest fuel price increase and was part of a government austerity and fuel conservation campaign rather than a defence of the recent hike.