Video shows ex-Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif's China visit in 2013, not 2024

Pakistan's foreign ministry said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's trip to China in April 2024 was a "private" one but social media posts misleadingly claimed a video showed he received a high-profile official welcome. The video in the posts was actually taken during Sharif's first official foreign trip in July 2013 after he was elected prime minister.

The video -- which showed Sharif and former Chinese premier Li Keqiang observing an honour guard ceremony -- was shared on social media site X on April 24, 2024.

The post has been viewed more than 98,000 times since.

"Without a government position he has gotten a spectacular welcome worthy of a prime minister," read Urdu-language text overlaid to the video.

Its caption additionally said: "Red carpet, guard of honour, full protocol without any designation. National leaders are those whom the world trusts."

The post surfaced after local media organisations reported Sharif travelled to China in April 2024 (archived link).

Pakistan's foreign affairs ministry said the visit was "private" and did not disclose further details (archived link).

Sharif was tipped to lead the country again when his family's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) expected a better showing from the general election in February.

But his brother Shehbaz -- considered the more pragmatic mediator, a softer personality and the military's favourite -- stepped in to lead a coalition government when the PML-N failed to win a ruling majority.

The video was also misleadingly shared by PML-N supporters elsewhere on X as well as on TikTok here and here.

2013 China trip

Reverse image searches on Google using keyframes from the video found it corresponds to longer footage distributed by AFP on July 5, 2013.

The description of the AFP footage read: "Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif meets his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang, during a visit to Beijing with economic ties at the top of the agenda."

Below is a screenshot comparison between the video misleadingly shared as recent (left) and the footage from AFP (right):

AFP reported the visit was Sharif's first foreign trip since his election in May that year as he sought to secure infrastructure projects to tackle a chronic energy crisis and economic malaise in his country.

An AFP photographer also captured a picture of Sharif, his brother Shehbaz and Li at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing during the trip.

Former Chinese premier Li died on October 27, 2023 -- more than five months before Sharif's recent trip to China.

There were no official reports from Pakistani or Chinese media about Sharif receiving an official welcome when he recently visited China.