Fact-check: Video shows French politician being covered in flour, not Pakistan's HC to UK
The man in the video does not even resemble Pakistan’s high commissioner to the UK
Updated Friday Oct 16 2026
A video circulating on social media purportedly shows Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Tipu Usman, being covered in a white powdery substance by a protester in Paris while answering journalists’ questions about the situation in Pakistan.
The claim is incorrect. The man in the video is Raphael Glucksmann, a French politician, not Pakistan’s high commissioner to the UK.
Claim
On October 14, a user shared an eight-second video clip on X (formerly Twitter), claiming that Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK, Tipu Usman, was confronted by journalists about the latest situation in Pakistan when a man threw a white powdery substance over him.
“Scene of disrespect towards Pakistan's ambassador in London!” the user wrote. “Journalists were asking him about the latest situations in Pakistan, during which a person threw a white powdery substance on him.”
The video shows a man rushing towards his car as another individual throws a powdery substance over his head.
At the time of writing, the post had garnered 132,500 views, 798 likes and 280 reposts.
Similar claims have also been shared on X, Facebook, and Instagram.
Fact
The man seen in the video is Raphael Glucksmann, a French politician, not Tipu Usman, Pakistan’s high commissioner to the UK.
A reverse image search conducted by Geo Fact Check traced the footage to an incident in Paris on October 11, 2026. The incident has no connection to Pakistan or its high commissioner.
French newspaper La Montagne and international news outlet Euronews also reported on the incident, identifying Glucksmann as the man covered in flour.
The man in the video does not even resemble Pakistan’s high commissioner to the UK, whose photograph can be seen here.
Verdict: The viral posts misidentify the man in the footage and falsely link the incident to Pakistan’s high commissioner.
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