A graphic circulating online claims that Afghanistan’s Interior Minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, said, “Indeed, Allah loves those who forgive. We ask for forgiveness from Pakistan,” in reference to the recent visit of Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister to India.
Multiple other users have also shared the claim, which can be viewed here and here.
Fact Check
Upon investigation, this claim was found to be fake. A review of credible Pakistani and international media found no record of Haqqani making such a statement. The closest reference is a 2021 report in Jang, quoting Haqqani as saying: “The forgiveness we gave has removed the mentality of revenge from our hearts.” In that same speech, Haqqani clarified that the forgiveness he mentioned was religious in nature and based on Shariah law, not a political statement or apology directed toward Pakistan. No credible source has published a statement resembling the one in the viral graphic.
A 2022 report by The Print noted that Afghanistan’s interim government had previously apologized to Pakistan over a border firing incident, as stated by Pakistan’s Defense Minister at the time. This, however, was a specific diplomatic apology related to a military event, not a statement by Sirajuddin Haqqani expressing forgiveness or remorse as claimed in the viral graphic.
Furthermore, we verified the authenticity of the graphic using FotoForensics and similar analysis tools. The results showed that the text portion appeared prominently highlighted, indicating that the text was overlaid onto the original image, confirming that the image had been digitally altered.
Conclusion
The viral graphic claiming that Sirajuddin Haqqani apologized to Pakistan is fabricated. There is no evidence that he made any such statement regarding the recent visit of the Afghan Minister to India.
