Fact Check: Maulana Muhammad Iqbal has no terror links, Poonch Police clarifies
The claim is false. Maulana Muhammad Iqbal, who was killed in cross-border firing from Pakistan, was an Indian national and a teacher at a local madrasa, as confirmed by the Poonch Police.
Claim :
Maulana Muhammad Iqbal was killed in cross-border firing from Pakistan and had multiple terror links.Fact :
Maulana Muhammad Iqbal was an Indian citizen and a teacher. The Poonch Police have confirmed that he had no links to terrorism.
Twelve Indian civilians were killed in firing incidents in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district. According to reports, the Pakistani Army violated the ceasefire and opened fire, killing the civilians and injuring 59 others. This information was confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs. Last night, the Indian Army gave a befitting reply to the firing by the Pakistani Army along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. According to sources, the Pakistani Army opened fire from across the LoC in the Kupwara, Baramulla, Uri, and Akhnoor sectors, and the Indian Army retaliated promptly. The escalation followed the Indian Armed Forces' attack on nine terrorist hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir under Operation Sindoor.
Meanwhile, a photo has been circulating on social media and various media outlets, showing a man identified as Maulana Muhammad Iqbal. It was falsely claimed that he was a 'terrorist' from Pakistan active in Poonch along the LoC. Following public protests, many social media users and media outlets deleted the post.
A screenshot of the post is provided below.
Fact Check:
There is no truth to the claim. Maulana Muhammad Iqbal, who died in the cross-border firing from Pakistan, was an Indian national and a teacher at a local madrasa. The Poonch Police have confirmed that this individual had no links to terrorism.
When we searched for the mentioned keyword, we did not find any photograph of the person under that name in any credible media outlet. However, amid protests from various quarters regarding the incident, we observed that one of Maulana Muhammad Iqbal's former teachers posted on social media, stating that he had no terrorist links.
The Poonch Police issued a clarification on the matter via its official social media handle, stating: "Poonch Police refutes the false news being spread regarding the death of Maulana Muhammad Iqbal in cross-border firing. He had no terrorist links. False reporting creates terror, and legal action will be taken against those spreading false information."
A social media user posted a video and said, "Some media outlets are shamelessly distorting the tragic death of my native son, Maulana Muhammad Iqbal Sahib, who was martyred in Pakistani firing in Poonch. Such false stories create panic, insult the deceased, and hurt a grieving community. The truth must prevail." In the video, two young girls are seen standing in front of several people. The video claims that they are the children of the deceased teacher. It also states that the spread of such false news has further deepened the grief of those mourning his loss.
Similarly, the chief of the Jammu and Kashmir Congress's social media cell stated that Maulana Muhammad Iqbal of Madrasa Zia-ul-Uloom had no connection to any terrorist organization and that the deceased was a respected individual.
Hence it proves the claim is false. Maulana Muhammad Iqbal, who was killed in cross-border firing from Pakistan, was an Indian national and a teacher at a local madrasa, as confirmed by the Poonch Police.
