Multiple social media users, who appear to be pro-PTI based on past posts, shared a video on Sunday showing Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti’s grandson, Gohram Bugti, announcing a long march demanding the release of Dr Mahrang Baloch and others. However, the video is old from April 2025.
Dr Mahrang Baloch, chief organiser of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), was arrested in Quetta on March 22, 2025, along with other activists during a crackdown on a BYC protest. She was initially detained under the Maintenance of Public Order law and was subsequently booked in cases carrying terrorism and other charges.
Last month, the PTI announced a long march to Islamabad for September 27, with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi saying the party leadership and allied Tehreek Tahaffuz-i-Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP) had agreed on the date. PTI has said the march is aimed at securing Imran Khan’s release and pressing for constitutional supremacy and rule of law.
Meanwhile, the Jamaat-e-Islami has kicked off its own long march to Islamabad to protest against the high petroleum levy.
How it started
On September 20, an account that appears to be pro-PTI based on its past posts shared a video on X of Gohram announcing a long march for the release of Dr Mahrang and others.
The post was captioned: “Gohram Bugti, grandson of Nawab Akbar Bugti, has too announced a long march for the release of Mahrang Baloch and others.”
The post gained 45,500 views.
Another X user who describes himself as a journalist and appears to post pro-PTI content shared the same clip on the same date with the following caption: “From Balochistan, Nawab Akbar Bugti’s grandson has announced a long march for Dr Mahrang’s release. This has become the fifth long march.”
The post garnered more than 63,100 views.
On the same date, the video was also shared by multiple pro-PTI accounts on Facebook and X with the same or similar captions, as can be seen here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
Methodology
A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in the political situation amid the multiple long marches.
A reverse image search to trace the origin of the video led to a YouTube video published on April 1, 2025, showing the same footage.
A keyword search led to Gohram’s official Facebook page, where he had posted the same video on April 1, 2025. He had stated that a long march would be launched if the detained women were not released within 72 hours.
It also led to the official Facebook page of his political party, the Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP), which also shared the same video and announcement on April 1, 2025.
A subsequent Dawn report published on April 4, 2025, referred to his 72-hour ultimatum and the JWP’s plan to launch a long march from Dera Bugti to Quetta for the release of Dr Mahrang Baloch and other detained women.
A further keyword search to determine whether any credible domestic media outlets had reported any such similar recent remarks yielded no recent announcement of such a march from Balochistan.
Fact-check status: misleading
The claim that a viral video shows Gohram Bugti announcing a new long march for the release of Dr Mahrang Baloch and others is misleading.
The video is old from April 1, 2025, when he announced plans for a long march if the detained women were not released.
