A document stamped “Top Secret” and attributed to India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), claiming that New Delhi had formally requested Pakistan to transfer former Prime Minister Imran Khan to India for his “personal security,” is fake.
BOOM found no record of such a letter being issued by the MEA, nor any credible reporting suggesting that the Indian government made such an offer.
The document is the latest in an influence operation carried out by a cluster of X handles are targeting India in a bid to destabilise the online discourse through a mix of videos manipulated with AI, fake quotes, bogus letters and fabricated news articles.
Imran Khan has been incarcerated in Pakistan since August 5, 2023, after he was arrested following his conviction in the Toshakhana case, in which he was accused of illegally selling state gifts received as prime minister and failing to declare the proceeds to the country's Election Commission. Although the trial court’s sentence was later suspended, he remains in custody due to several other pending cases.
The Claim: Leaked letter by MEA asking for Imran Khan to be transferred as a political prisoner to India
The viral letter claims that the MEA has “credible information” about threats to Khan’s life in Pakistan and therefore requests the Pakistani government to temporarily transfer him to a “secure location in India,” with assurances that he would be kept in protective custody and returned once the situation stabilises.
The letter was posted by the X handle @abubakarqassam.
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What We Found:
1) Inaccuracies in the Letter
The first give away is that the viral image shows the letter placed on a wooden desk with dramatic side-lighting, creating a stylised shadow effect. There is only one photo available online and no credible media reports on any such document being leaked. An official diplomatic communication letter even if top secret would be neutral. Words like “political prisoner,” “secure location,” stand out.
The letter also uses Imran Khan’s full name - Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi, whereas official Indian letters in the past have referred to him simply as Imran Khan.
2) No Official Record
We also checked the Ministry of External Affairs website, official press releases, public statements, and did not find any such letter. The central government's fact-checking unit, PIB Fact Check, also refuted the claim. We also checked MEA's PAI [Pakistan, Afghanistan & Iran] Division, and did not find such a letter or recent communication.
BOOM reached out to the MEA for a response, the article will be updated on receiving one.
3) X Handle Part of Anti-India Influence Operation
BOOM has previously fact-checked multiple AI-generated videos targeting Indian military officials that were posted by the Pakistani X handle @abubakarqassam. This account is part of a larger network of Pakistani X handles that routinely share misleading, fabricated, or AI cheapfake videos targeting India.