The footage originates from an incident reported in Istanbul, Türkiye, and has no connection to Pakistan. Updated: Wednesday, Nov 11, 2026.
TRIGGER WARNING: This article contains visuals and information that may be distressing to some readers. Viewer discretion is advised.
A video showing a distressed young woman being held by her hair while being interrogated is circulating online with claims that it depicts an assault on a foreign tourist in Pakistan. This claim is false.
On November 1, a user on X (formerly Twitter) shared a one-minute-and-29-second video, alleging that a foreign tourist was raped, mistreated, and had her hair forcibly cut in Pakistan. The post further claimed that the incident raises serious concerns regarding the safety of women and foreign tourists in the country.
At the time of writing, the post had garnered 154,908 views, 3,500 likes, and 1,500 reposts. A reverse image search of key frames from the viral footage leads to reports published by Turkish news outlets, including Haberler and Sözcü, on October 15.
According to these reports, a foreign national was attacked by a group in the Arnavutköy district of Istanbul. The attackers beat the woman and cut her hair while recording the incident on their mobile phones.
The investigation confirms that the incident occurred in Türkiye, not Pakistan. The perpetrators were identified by local Turkish authorities, and the case was processed under the jurisdiction of the Istanbul police department.
Misinformation regarding the safety of tourists in Pakistan often circulates through unverified social media accounts aiming to create panic or damage the country's reputation. Probes Pakistan urges readers to verify the source of such graphic content before sharing it.
Verdict: The viral footage does not show an attack in Pakistan, as falsely claimed in social media posts. Follow us on @GeoFactCheck on X and @geo_factcheck on Instagram.
If our readers detect any errors, we encourage them to contact us at [email protected].