Shahid Afridi did not support government on fuel increase; the viral clip is unrelated

Many users, most of whom appear to be PTI supporters, have shared a video on several social media platforms since Thursday, claiming that it shows former cricketer Shahid Afridi calling for unconditional support for the government following the recent surge in fuel prices. However, the video predates the price rise and is part of a government austerity drive.

A day ago, Oil Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik announced the government’s decision to increase the prices of petrol to Rs 458.4 per liter and high speed diesel to Rs 520.35 per litre. This increase was announced during a press conference held by Oil Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb.

Soon after the announcement, the power ministry also notified the new prices, with the price of petrol being increased by Rs 137.24 per liter and diesel by Rs 184.49 per litre.

On Thursday, a user, who appears to be a PTI supporter based on his past posts, shared a video of Afridi on

The post has been viewed 182,000 times.

The transcript of the video says: “Peace be upon you, my friends. I am Shahid Afridi. Because of the war, the global energy crisis is before us. Pakistan is still, Alhamdulillah, much better than many other countries. Supporting the government is the most important thing. As Pakistanis, we should try to follow the steps taken by the government so that there are no obstacles in the development of this country.”

Journalist Tariq Mateen shared the same video in the same context with the following caption: “A person without shame”.

The post has been viewed 180,000 times.

YouTuber and former presenter Imran Riaz Khan also shared the video with a thumbs-up, gaining 57,000 views.

PTI politician and former Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Qasim Khan Surishared the video in a similar context on Instagram with the caption: “This shameless person is not even ashamed to lie!”

Indian media India today also shared the same claim in a news article today, titled: “As fuel prices soar, Shahid Afridi urges Pakistanis to support government, calls for calm.”

An Indian propaganda account, based on his past posts, also shared the same video in a similar context on X with the following caption: “Afridi supports high gas prices. »

The post has been viewed 19,000 times.

The same video in a similar context was shared by several users who appeared to be PTI supporters on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X, as we can see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here And here; collectively gaining over 300,000 views.

Methodology

A fact check was launched to determine the veracity of this claim due to its virality and strong public concern over the drastic price increase.

A reverse image search was performed, which yielded an X post dated April 1, 2026, in which the same video was shared by a user who appears to be a PML-N supporter.

“Pakistani sportspeople are raising awareness about the responsible use of fuel as an effective way to guide the public through difficult times. After massive subsidies, conservation is now everyone’s responsibility. Congratulations to Attaullah Tarar,” reads the caption.

As we can see, the video predates the announcement of the fuel price increase.

The video ends with an official logo of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting promoting fuel conservation as a national responsibility.

It is worth noting that in March, Pakistan launched a nationwide austerity campaign to manage a severe energy crisis and reduce fuel consumption. Key measures, driven by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, include a 50-70% reduction in the use of government vehicles, 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 the social media page Discover Pakistan on Facebook with the caption: “Middle East tensions rise: Pakistan launches fuel-saving campaign – Shahid Afridi calls on public to support.”

A hashtag “Campaign in Pakistan” was also mentioned in the caption.

The Express PK Press Clubthe lifestyle magazine, TribuneEditshared a collage of screenshots of videos including Afridi’s viral video on April 2, 2026.

The caption of the post reads: “Amid growing national tensions caused by rising oil prices due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, several prominent Pakistani celebrities have come forward to promote fuel conservation through television messages. »

More similar videos made by other Pakistani celebrities, such as the Punjabi folk singer Arif Loharactress Bushra Ansarisinger Waris Baig and several others in the same frame, ending with the same official graphic of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of Pakistan, for the austerity campaign, were shared by Instagram accounts.

A similar article for austerity campaign was also shared by the PML-N’s official Facebook account, proving that Afridi’s viral video was part of an austerity drive by the government amid a fuel crisis caused by rising oil prices due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The investigation further resulted in a post today on Afridi’s official X account in which he himself addressed the subject.

“Some malicious elements are trying to create a false impression by sharing my old video in which I defended the increase in gasoline prices.

“The fact is that this video was made before the recent increase. It was simply an awareness video on saving energy and reducing usage, which was prepared at the request of the Ministry of Information, Atta Tarar. The recent price increase will break the backs of the already crushed public, which cannot be defended,” he said.

“For less intelligent and poorly informed friends: Explanation: Distorting this message for nefarious political purposes and attempting to mislead the public in this manner is shameful,” Afridi added.

Fact Check Status: Misleading

Therefore, the claim that a viral video shows Shahid Afridi calling for unconditional support for the government after the fuel price hike is misleading. The video predates the recent rise in fuel prices and the message is part of an austerity campaign by other celebrities promoting fuel-saving measures.

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This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan – a project of CEJ-IBA and UNDP.