A deceptive video, manipulated with artificial intelligence, has been circulating online, falsely depicting Indian opposition politician Shashi Tharoor praising Pakistan’s diplomatic advancements and criticizing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This video surfaced in August, shortly after Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia formalized a defense agreement, and has since been widely shared across social media platforms like Facebook and X.
The fabricated clip shows Tharoor, a prominent member of the opposition Congress party and a known critic of Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), purportedly stating, “Pakistan has forces in Bahrain, it has moved closer to Bangladesh. And now this pact happened today, with Turkey also joining it along with Saudi Arabia. So Pakistan is expanding its diplomatic clout. And where do we stand today compared to Pakistan? Modi ji visits smaller countries, comes back and does not even give a briefing. Today, India’s diplomacy has become completely ineffective, and this is a major concern.” This narrative was amplified by Urdu-language captions accompanying the video, claiming Pakistan’s achievements were gaining recognition from neighboring countries.
However, a thorough investigation reveals that this video is a deepfake. Tharoor’s press team explicitly confirmed to AFP on August 14 via WhatsApp that the video is fake and directed towards the full interview on NDTV. A reverse image search using keyframes from the viral video led to a much longer broadcast by Indian news channel NDTV on April 9. This original footage predates the defense agreement between Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, which was signed on August 7. The NDTV segment focused on the two-week ceasefire agreement brokered by Pakistan between the United States and Iran on April 8, with both nations declaring victory.
Crucially, the authentic NDTV interview contains no instance of Tharoor criticizing Prime Minister Modi or labeling Indian diplomacy as “ineffective.” Instead, during the 20-minute discussion, Tharoor expressed his approval of Pakistan’s role in mediating the Middle East ceasefire, advocating for India to celebrate initiatives that promote global peace. He characterized the Indian government’s response as “right, mature and sensible,” asserting that international relations should not always be perceived as a zero-sum game. Tharoor encouraged India to view Pakistan’s engagement “as an interested neighbor, not as a critic or a resentful country,” emphasizing that peace would ultimately benefit India by fostering greater stability. He further urged India to assume a more significant role in shaping the emerging international order and to position itself as a voice for the Global South.
The deceptive nature of the circulating video is evident through several visual anomalies, commonly associated with synthetic content. Tharoor’s voice in the manipulated clip differs noticeably from his natural voice in the NDTV broadcast. Furthermore, his eye and lip movements appear unnatural and are out of synchronization with the audio, with his lip exhibiting an unusual extension on one side, all indicative of digital manipulation. An analysis conducted using Hive Moderation, an AI detection tool, corroborated these observations, indicating a 97.2 percent likelihood of AI-generated speech within the altered video.
The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed amidst escalating regional violence stemming from Houthi attacks and the US-Iran conflict, signifies a move by Riyadh to fortify its security alliances. This conflict, which has drawn in surrounding nations and impacted crucial shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, has led Saudi Arabia to seek stronger partnerships. Analysts suggest that the United States is increasingly viewed as an unreliable ally in the region. Pakistan’s foreign ministry stated that the new security pact would consider an attack on any member as an attack on all, aiming to bolster collective deterrence. Turkey subsequently clarified that the agreement was not directed at any specific nation. Pakistan continued its mediation efforts in Middle East peace talks throughout the spring and summer, including brokering a 60-day framework in June that eventually collapsed. The country’s interior minister also visited Iran in mid-August to discuss regional security matters. This incident highlights the growing threat of AI-generated misinformation and the importance of verifying content, especially concerning sensitive geopolitical matters.
