Claim:
Viral videos showing people atop trains and massive crowds at railway stations are being circulated with the claim that Pakistani nationals are fleeing India after a 48-hour ultimatum issued by the Indian government following the April 22, 2025, Pahalgam terror attack.
Verdict: FALSE
FactCheck India’s investigation reveals that both videos are misleading and have no connection to the Pahalgam attack or any government order asking Pakistanis to leave India. The videos are old and unrelated—one from Bangladesh and the other from Mumbai during religious congregations held months earlier.
What Was Claimed
Two viral posts made sensational claims:
- X user @atrauli_ka_system shared a video of people atop a train with the caption:
“Modi gave 48 hours. Right or wrong. People are going back to Pakistan from India.”
The implication? That following the Pahalgam terror attack, Indian authorities cracked down on Pakistani nationals, forcing a rushed exodus.
FactCheck India Investigation
Claim 1: Train Roof Chaos = Pakistanis Fleeing India?
- Truth: This video was first posted by the X handle Libs Hate Us on April 10, 2025, a full 12 days before the Pahalgam attack.
- Watermark Tracked: The clip carried the logo RRBD, belonging to rail_and_road_bangladesh, a social media channel.
- Original Source: Posted on Instagram on February 13, 2025, the video was filmed at Tongi Railway Station, Bangladesh, during the Biswa Ijtema — the world’s second-largest Islamic congregation.
- Evidence: A Bengali-numbered train (2313) and drone footage confirm its Dhaka location.
- Confirmation: RRBD’s admin verified this was the post-Ijtema rush in Bangladesh.
Claim 2: Crowd Rush at Indian Station = Pakistanis Fleeing Mumbai?
- Truth: This video too was posted online in February 2025.
- Real Context: It shows the Ijtema religious gathering at Kharghar, Mumbai, held on February 1–2, 2025.
- Matched Footage: Multiple videos and news reports confirm the event and crowd scale — entirely unrelated to April’s geopolitical events.
What’s Actually Happening
On April 24, following a Cabinet Committee on Security decision, the Ministry of External Affairs:
- Suspended all visa services to Pakistani nationals
- Set April 27 as the deadline for existing visa holders
- Limited medical visas to April 29
Yes, the government took action. But no, those crowded railway visuals have nothing to do with it.
Why This Matters
In the age of outrage, it’s dangerously easy to weaponize old footage for political or communal narratives. These claims not only fuel unnecessary fear and hatred but also trivialize real tragedies by mixing them with fiction.
At FactCheck India, we believe truth shouldn’t be optional — especially when the nation watches with baited breath.
Verdict: MISLEADING
The viral videos being circulated do not show Pakistanis fleeing India after the Pahalgam terror attack. Both videos are unrelated, old, and were shot weeks before the incident — one in Tongi, Bangladesh during Biswa Ijtema and the other in Mumbai at a similar religious event. The narrative linking them to the government’s post-attack visa order is false and misleading.