Doctored image falsely links Attaullah Tarar to remarks on Dar grandson case

ISLAMABAD: A viral social media graphic that purported to show Information Minister Attaullah Tarar defending Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar’s grandson in a rape case involving two foreign women has been found to be false, according to a fact-check published by Express Tribune.

The image had been circulating on X and Facebook since July 3, 2026, and claimed to show Tarar commenting on the case. The quote attributed to him in the altered visual read: Raza Dar is young, such mistakes happen in youth. If he committed rape, it’s not the end of the world. If CCD (Crime Control Department) is letting off a few people, what’s social media’s problem?

The claim gained traction after an account appearing to be pro-PTI shared the image on X on July 3. The post was captioned: But this was the last thing I needed to hear. I told you, didn’t I, how shameless these people are. That post received 42,400 views, while the same claim and visual were also shared through multiple posts on Facebook and X.

How the image was checked

According to the fact-check, a keyword search was carried out to determine whether any credible Pakistani media outlet had recently reported such remarks by Tarar, but no such reports were found. An advanced keyword search on X then led to a similar image shared by Pakistani digital media outlet Azaad Digital on May 2, 2025.

That earlier image, carried a different quote attributed to Tarar and had the same barcode visible in the viral graphic. The Azaad Digital post quoted Tarar as saying "Omer Ayub’s grandfather was the president of Pakistan, and my grandfather was also the president, but there is more patriotism in my blood."

Further examination showed the barcode in the manipulated image matched an ARY News post dated May 2, 2025. The ARY post reportedly carried footage from the talk show Khabar Muhammad Malick Kay Saath, in which Tarar could be heard making the same remarks.

The fact-check quoted Tarar from that clip as saying "Omar Ayub’s grandfather was the president of Pakistan, and so was my grandfather, but patriotism runs in my blood."

This established that Tarar’s actual remarks were made in a separate political context and had no connection to Dar’s grandson or the recent rape case.

Visual discrepancies identified

A comparison between the viral image and authentic Azaad Digital posts showed differences in font style, font size and overall formatting. These discrepancies, it said, indicated that the circulating graphic had been digitally altered.

The fact-check concluded with a false rating, stating that the claim that the viral image showed comments made by Tarar in defence of Ishaq Dar’s grandson and his alleged involvement in a rape case was untrue. The visual was doctored and Tarar did not make the remarks attributed to him.