Police officials in Punjab are being mocked online for purportedly inviting a social media influencer to their service centre and providing him with a protocol reserved for senior government officials.
Video clips of this alleged meeting between Assistant Superintendent Police (ASP) Shehrbano Naqvi and Bhola Record, an internet celebrity, are circulating online, attracting thousands of shares and views.
The claim is false.
A 36-second video posted on TikTok on March 18 was shared alongside the claim: “ASP Sheharbano Naqvi giving protocol to Bhola Record on the behalf of the police. What else is left to do?”
The user further asked why Bhola, a TikToker, was being provided the special treatment. The post has been viewed over 80,000 times, shared over 300 times and liked over 1,000 times, at the time of writing on TikTok alone.
The man seen in the video is not an influencer. In fact, he is Rana Sikandar Hayat, Punjab’s minister for school education, who visited a police station in Lahore on March 16 for a briefing.
The original video, which is over a minute long, was posted by the official X account of the Punjab police on March 16. In the footage, the minister also introduces himself and adds that he is visiting the police service center to get an update on facilities being rolled out for women in the province.
Later in the video, ASP Shehrbano Naqvi can be seen briefing the minister as well as giving him a tour.
The minister’s picture is also available on the Punjab assembly’s website.
With additional reporting by Muhammad Binyameen Iqbal.
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