Old, unrelated images shared as 'crowd at Baloch National Gathering' in Gwadar Port

What’s the claim?

Images of a large crowd are being shared with claims that they depict a gathering at Gwadar Port in Pakistan, where political activist Dr. Mahrang Baloch addressed the public recently. Baloch, the leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), a human rights advocacy group, organized the event known as Baloch Raaji Muchi, or the Baloch National Gathering, on July 28, 2024, at Gwadar Port. The event aimed to unite the Baloch people in their fight against what they describe as oppression by the Pakistani government. 

According to ANI, those who were unable to attend the gathering due to government-imposed restrictions were asked to hold sit-in protests, though these were reportedly blocked by authorities.

An X (formerly Twitter) user posted an image of a large crowd with the caption, “The most beautiful picture tonight at Gwadar Port under the leadership of Dr. Mahrang Baloch... 27 July 2024, 12:30 a.m. (Translated from Urdu).” The photo shows thousands of people around a purple bus and three cars. The post received 100,500 views and 2,500 likes. Archived versions of similar posts can be found here and here.

Another X user shared an image purportedly from Gwadar Port with the caption, “Gwadar belongs to Baloch, no one else. #BalochNationalGathering.” This image shows a crowd beside the sea with boats docked. Archives of similar posts can be found here.

Screenshot of images shared online. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, these images are from two separate events in 2021 and 2024 and are unrelated to the Baloch Raaji Muchi gathering.

Here are the facts

Image 1

A reverse image search reveals that the first image was shared by former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman (archived here) on his official X account on July 4, 2024. Laxman’s caption read, “Spectacular scenes from Mumbai. This is what Sport does: unite people and give them so much to cheer about and spread joy. Thanking our team once again for giving so many of our countrymen so much joy and happiness. Here’s to many more trophies and celebrations. #VictoryParade.” He also posted two other images from the Indian cricket team’s ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup victory parade.

Screenshot of the VVS Laxman’s X post. (Source: X)

Photographer Ujwal Puri also shared photos of the victory parade from different angles on his Instagram (archived here) account. He noted that the parade took place on July 5, 2024, at Marine Drive in Mumbai, celebrating the Indian cricket team’s win.

The Times of India reported that on July 5, 2024, at 7:30 p.m., the parade began at the National Centre for Performing Arts in Nariman Point and ended at Wankhede Stadium. Tens of thousands of supporters gathered at Marine Drive to welcome the team, showing that the image has been inaccurately associated with the protests at Gwadar Port.

Image 2

A reverse image search shows that the second image was published by Dawn, a Pakistani newspaper, on December 11, 2021. It was captioned, “GWADAR: Thousands of people pictured at the venue of the demonstration on Friday.” The report details a protest on December 10, 2021, as part of the ‘Gwadar ko haq do (give Gwadar its rights)’ movement led by Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman. Protesters demanded an end to illegal fishing, easing of security checkpoints, and improved trading conditions in Gwadar.

Screenshot of Dawn News report. (Source: Dawn)

Gulf News cited the same image in its December 17, 2021, report, stating that the government had agreed to most demands and signed an agreement on December 16, 2021.

The unrest in Balochistan

In Balochistan, people have been protesting against the Pakistani government over alleged forced disappearances and widespread killings of dissenters. They demand the release of political activists, students, and journalists who are reportedly missing and call for a fair distribution of the province’s resources.

Reuters reports that Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, has experienced separatist groups' insurgency. Gwadar Port, a key location in Balochistan, is part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which aims to connect Pakistan with China’s Xinjiang province by sea.

On July 28, 2024, protesters clashed with security forces in Gwadar. Military personnel fired on the crowd, resulting in one death, according to The Wire. Over 3,000 protesters were detained, and internet services were disrupted in protest areas, reports add.

The verdict

The images being circulated are from different events in 2021 and 2024 and are not related to the recent Balochistan protests.