AI-generated images fuel claims ex-Pakistan leader…

In July 2026, social media users circulated AI-generated images falsely depicting former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan suffering in a small, sweltering prison cell. These fabricated visuals emerged while the Islamabad High Court was actively reviewing allegations regarding Khan's living conditions and claims of solitary confinement.

What happened

The campaign involved the distribution of multiple AI-generated images across platforms like X and Facebook. One widely shared post from July 2, 2026, featured an image of Khan appearing to sit in a chair while reading the Quran in a wet shirt, garnering over 400 shares and 1,300 likes. A subsequent Facebook post received over 3,000 likes for a similar claim regarding his confinement.

Investigations by AFP revealed that these images were not authentic photographs. Instead, they were created using generative AI tools, a fact confirmed by OpenAI's verification software and the Hive Moderation detection tool. Analysts noted visual inconsistencies, such as shadows that did not align with the prison window's grill. Furthermore, researchers traced the source material for the fabricated images back to a 2024 media report by the newspaper Dawn. That report featured official photos submitted by the Deputy Attorney General to the court to demonstrate prison facilities. The AI-generated content reused background features from these official 2024 photos, keeping the layout nearly identical while inserting a synthetic version of Khan.

These posts were used to fuel public narratives about Khan's treatment while he remains incarcerated following a 2025 corruption sentence. Despite the lack of any official photos confirming the depictions, the AI-generated imagery successfully spread across social media, requiring external verification and debunking by independent agencies to clarify the misinformation.