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  • FAKE ALERT: Pakistan minister shares 2018 video from Himachal Pradesh as one from Kashmir
This story is from September 23, 2019

FAKE ALERT: Pakistan minister shares 2018 video from Himachal Pradesh as one from Kashmir

Shireen Mazari, Minister of Human Rights of Pakistan, tweeted a video with a claim that it shows Indian security forces cut down what appears to be apple trees in Kashmir.
FAKE ALERT: Pakistan minister shares 2018 video from Himachal Pradesh as one from Kashmir
Key Highlights
  • Pakistan minister Shireen Mazari tweeted a video showing men in uniform cutting what appears to be apple trees.
  • Mazari tweeted the video claiming Indian security forces in Kashmir are cutting down 'fruit trees'.
  • Times Fact Check found that this video is from 2018 and was taken in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla.
CLAIM
Pakistan's Minister of Human Rights Shireen Mazari tweeted a video showing men in police uniform felling what appears to be apple trees saying, "Indian occupation forces can't even bare to see fruit trees live in IOJK - lest the Muslim Kashmiris eat the fruit. Such is the barbarism of the Rogue Modi Govt's fascist hate-filled mindset," along with #Kashmir.

Mazari claimed that Indian security forces, after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, have been cutting down apple trees in Kashmir.

TRUTH
The video Mazari shared is of an incident from 2018 when the Himachal Pradesh High Court ordered a crackdown on illegal forest encroachments in Shimla's apple-belt.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) handling the case then had submitted a report in the High Court informing that encroachments on forest land in eight out of 13 cases have been removed by felling the apple trees.
The video Mazari tweeted was taken when many apple trees were flattened by joint teams of the forest and revenue department in Rohru sub-division of Shimla, as per the High Court order.

VERIFICATION AND METHODOLOGY
Many alert Twitter users responded to Mazari calling out his lie and telling him that the video he shared is actually from 2018 and from Shimla.
Taking a cue from this, we searched with some relevant keywords on YouTube and found the exact video tweeted by Mazari uploaded to a channel that goes by the name of 'Rakesh Chauhan'. The description of the video Chauhan uploaded in July, 2018 said, "As per the orders of honorable High Court of Himachal Pradesh, Forest Department is clearing its land which has been encroached."

Cutting Down of Apple Trees | Apple plants felling on Shimla HP India | सेब के पेड़ में आरी | पेड़ कटे


To ensure such a drive happened in Shimla, we searched on Google with relevant keywords and found an Indian Express news report titled, 'Himachal Pradesh: Three days before HC deadline, many apple orchards face crackdown,' published on May 8, 2018. The report said a large number of apple trees were flattened by joint teams of the forest and revenue departments in Rohru sub-division of Shimla to enforce orders of the Himachal Pradesh High Court.
This proves the video has nothing to do with Kashmir and abrogation of Article 370.
VERDICT
Times Fact Check had found that the video tweeted Shireen Mazari, claiming that Indian security forces have been cutting down apple trees in Kashmir, to be from Himachal Pradesh's Shimla, shot in 2018.
Mazari's claim is hence false.
End of Article
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