2 days ago
Fact Check: Flag-raising at Pakistani consulate in UK shared in misleading posts about ‘Islamic invasion'
A video showing Pakistan's flag being raised in the grounds of its Glasgow consulate to celebrate the South Asian country's Independence Day has been shared in posts that misleadingly say it shows an 'Islamic invasion' of Britain.
'In every city in UK, Pakistani flag is being raised to celebrate Pakistan's independence. This is what an Islamic invasion looks like,' said an August 15 post on Facebook, sharing a video of the flag-hoisting ceremony.
The video shows a ceremony on August 14 to mark Pakistan's independence from British rule in 1947.
The houses and trees visible in the background of the video correspond with Google Maps imagery of the street opposite the consulate. The footage is also consistent with a video of the ceremony published on the consulate's Facebook page on August 14.
'The claim suggesting a 'Pakistan takeover of the UK' in connection with the flag hoisting ceremony in Glasgow on August 14 is entirely false and misleading,' a spokesperson for the Consulate of Pakistan said in an email.
'Flag hoisting ceremonies are a standard diplomatic practice and are held by embassies and consulates of countries all around the world to celebrate their national days.
'The event was conducted peacefully, with members of the Pakistani community in attendance, and was no different from similar observances held by diplomatic missions globally.'
Earlier in 2025, a Reuters fact-check found a video of Pakistan's independence celebrations in August 2022 had been shared with false captions to claim it showed Pakistani nationals protesting over military clashes between Pakistan and India in May 2025.
VERDICT
Misleading. The video shows Pakistan's flag being raised at its consulate in Glasgow to mark the country's Independence Day.
