An image of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin appearing to watch coverage of the by-election victory of the political party of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is digitally altered.

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won 15 of 20 seats in a by-election in the country’s most populous province, Punjab, on July 18, 2022.

Social media users subsequently shared an image showing Putin sitting in front of a television, with a Russia Today banner viewable at the bottom of the screen. The lower-third reads: “Former PM Imran Khan’s Party wins crucial by elections in Pakistan.”

One user shared the altered image with the caption: “Russian President Putin Watching News of Imran Khan’s Victory. #Putin #imrankhanPTI” (here).

Other examples of the claim shared online can be viewed (here), (here) and (here).

The image is altered, however, and a reverse image search shows Putin sitting by a screen during a conference call.

The image is viewable via photography agency Alamy, with a caption that reads: “January 26, 2022. - Russia, Moscow Region, Novo-Ogaryovo. - Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence during a video conference meeting with Italian business leaders” (bit.ly/3v704n1).

A reverse image search reveals that the photograph was published by media outlets in January 2022, including The Washington Post and Euronews (here), (here).

The photograph was also published via the Kremlin’s website in January 2022, with a headline that reads: “Meeting with representatives of Italian business community” (here).

The unaltered image was further shared via a Russian embassy Twitter account in January 2022.

Pakistan has also passed through another bout of political instability, with the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif taking over from ousted premier Khan in April. Khan has been pressing the current government to call early elections, holding a series of political gatherings across the country.

Verdict

Altered. Russia’s President Putin was not pictured watching coverage of the PTI’s victory in a by-election in Pakistan. The image is digitally altered, and the original was taken when Putin was on a call with Italian business leaders in January 2022.