After Shehbaz Sharif was sworn in prime minister of Muslim-majority Pakistan, posts surfaced in its Hindu-majority neighbour India which falsely claimed a performer sang a Hindu hymn during the event. But the video in the posts previously appeared in news reports about a festival celebration in Pakistan’s largest city Karachi in March 2017. The singer shown in the clip told AFP she did not attend Sharif’s oath-taking ceremony in March 2024.
The video was shared by an India-based user on social media platform X on March 13, 2024, days after Sharif’s swearing in ceremony.
The post falsely claimed a singer named Narodha Malni performed the “Gayatri mantra” Hindu hymn during the event. It said: “Pakistan prime minister’s swearing in ceremony starting with ‘Gayatri maha mantra’ by smt. Naroda Malini Sahiba. Now Pakistan has officially recognised the importance & its recited in all functions.”
Sharif took his oath on March 4, following an election marred by vote rigging claims. His army-backed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz allied with historic rivals and several smaller factions to shut out candidates loyal to jailed ex-prime minister Imran Khan.
Khan’s candidates secured more seats in parliament than any other party but fell far short of the majority needed to form a government.
Text overlaid to the video, written in Telugu language widely spoken in southern India, similarly said it showed a Pakistani woman singing “Gayatri mantra” in front of the prime minister.
The video, however, showed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, the older brother of the current leader.