A screengrab of former cricketer Shahid Afridi. — SCREENGRAB
Multiple users, most of whom appear to be PTI supporters, have been sharing a video on several social media platforms since Thursday, claiming it shows former cricketer Shahid Afridi urging unconditional support for the government following the recent surge in fuel prices. However, the video predates the price hike and is part of a government austerity campaign.
A day ago, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik announced the government’s decision to raise petrol prices to Rs458.4 per litre and that of high-speed diesel to Rs520.35 per litre. The hike was announced at a press conference held by Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.
Soon after the announcement, the energy ministry also notified the new prices, with petrol’s price being raised by Rs137.24 per litre and diesel’s by Rs184.49 per litre.
On Thursday, a user, who appears to be a PTI supporter based on his past posts, shared a video of Afridi on X with the following caption: “Pakistanis, look!! To rub salt in your wounds, Lala has been brought into the field. Egg Afridi is saying, petrol prices have been increased, support the government.”
The post gained 182,000 views.
The transcription of the video reads: “Peace be upon you, friends. I am Shahid Afridi. Because of the war, the global energy crisis is in front of us. Pakistan is still, Alhamdulillah, much better than many other countries. Supporting the government is the most important thing. Being a Pakistani, we should try to follow the steps taken by the government so that there is no obstacle in the development of this country.”
Journalist Tariq Mateen shared the same video in the same context with the following caption: “A person devoid of shame.”
The post garnered 180,000 views.
YouTuber and former anchorperson Imran Riaz Khan also reshared the video with a thumbs-up, gaining 57,000 views.
PTI politician and former deputy speaker of the National Assembly, Qasim Khan Suri, shared the video in a similar context on Instagram with the caption: “This shameless person is not even ashamed of lying!”
Indian media outlet India Today also shared the same claim in a news article today, titled: “As fuel rates soar, Shahid Afridi urges Pakistanis to back govt, appeals for calm”.
An Indian propaganda account, based on its past posts, also shared the same video in a similar context on X with the following caption: “Afridi is supporting high petrol price.”
The post garnered 19,000 views.
The same video in a similar context was shared by multiple users who appeared to be PTI supporters on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X, as can be seen here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here; collectively gaining more than 300,000 views.
Methodology
A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public concern about the drastic price increase.
A reverse image search was conducted, which yielded an X post dated April 1, 2026, wherein the same video was shared by a user who appears to be a PML-N supporter.
“Pakistani sportsmen are raising powerful awareness about responsible fuel use as an effective way to guide the public during tough times. After massive subsidies, conservation is now everyone’s responsibility. Kudos to Attaullah Tarar,” reads the caption.
As can be seen, the video predates the announcement of the fuel price increase.
The video concludes with an official logo of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting promoting fuel conservation as a national responsibility.
It must be noted that in March, Pakistan initiated a national austerity campaign to manage a severe energy crisis and cut fuel consumption. Key measures, driven by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, include a 50–70% reduction in government vehicle usage, a four-day work week with 50-80% of staff working from home, and restrictions on official events and foreign travel.
A keyword search yielded the same video shared on social media page Discover Pakistan on Facebook with the following caption: “Middle East tensions rise: Pakistan launches fuel conservation campaign — Shahid Afridi urges public support”.
A hashtag “Pakistan campaign” was also mentioned in the caption.
The Express Tribune’s lifestyle magazine, Tribune Edit, shared a collage of screenshots of videos that included the viral video of Afridi on April 2, 2026.
The caption of the post reads: “Amid rising national tension caused by increasing oil prices due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, several prominent Pakistani celebrities have stepped forward to promote fuel conservation through televised messages.”
More similar videos by other Pakistani celebrities, such as Punjabi folk singer Arif Lohar, actress Bushra Ansari, singer Waris Baig and several others in the same frame, ending with the same official graphic from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of Pakistan, for the austerity campaign, were found to be shared by the Instagram accounts.
A similar post for the austerity campaign was also shared by the PML-N’s official Facebook account, thus proving that Afridi’s viral video was a part of a government austerity campaign amid a fuel crisis caused by increasing oil prices due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The investigation further yielded a post on Afridi’s official X account today in which he addressed the matter himself.
“Some malicious elements are trying to create a false impression by sharing my old video in which I was defending the increase in petrol prices.
“The fact is that this video was made before the recent increase. It was simply an awareness video about energy conservation and reduced usage, which was prepared at the request of the Ministry of Information, Atta Tarar. The recent increase in prices will break the back of the already crushed public, which cannot be defended,” he said.
“For friends with low intellect and little knowledge: explanation — twisting this message for nefarious political purposes and attempting to mislead the public in this manner is shameful,” Afridi added.
کچھ شر پسند عناصر میری پرانی ویڈیو شیئر کر کے غلط تاثر دینے کی کوشش کر رہے ہیں کہ میں پیٹرول کی قیمتوں میں اضافے کا دفاع کر رہا ہوں۔
حقیقت یہ ہے کہ یہ ویڈیو حالیہ اضافے سے پہلے بنائی گئی تھی۔ یہ صرف توانائی کے بچت اور کم استعمال کے بارے میں آگاہی ویڈیو تھی، جو وزارتِ اطلاعات…— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) April 3, 2026
Fact-check status: Misleading
Therefore, the claim that a viral video shows Shahid Afridi urging unconditional support for the government after the rise in fuel prices is misleading. The video predates the recent rise in fuel prices, and the message is part of an austerity campaign with other celebrities promoting fuel-saving measures.
————————
This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan — a project of CEJ-IBA and UNDP.
