Areeba Fatima

Areeba Fatima is a senior fact-checker and investigative reporter. She studied Anthropology at Lahore University of Management Sciences. She has also worked with Fact Focus on an Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) investigation, the Suisse Secrets. She loves working with large datasets to extract meaningful information. She is interested in internet governance, financial crime, political corruption and emerging technologies.

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Claim: Starlink recently registered in Pakistan and their internet services are now operational.  Fact: Starlink registered in Pakistan in 2021, but has yet to acquire approval from PSARB and the PTA, which are needed to provide services in the country. However, according to some reports, Starlink’s internet services are being accessed illegally by some IT […]

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Claim: Geo News reported that a new American visa policy will allow foreign workers to move to a state in the US where they will be given free accommodation, three meals a day, and a job with a salary of 45 lacs a month. No prior experience or qualifications are required and so labourers can […]

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Claim: Geo News reported that a new mobile application called ‘mizmaxs’ allows you to earn PKR 1,200 as soon as you download it and you can keep earning more from that point.  The report also claims that you can earn money every 4 minutes if you have a phone with a touchscreen. Fact: Geo News […]

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Claim: French medical reports show that Algerian boxer Imane Khelif was born as a man with XY chromosomes. Fact: The Algerian Olympic Association and Imane Khelif have publicly denounced the claim. In addition, no document to support the claim has been brought forward. In early November 2024, social media was abuzz with posts claiming that […]

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Claim: Shahbaz Gill defended Richard Grenell and spoke against criticisms of Grenell based on his sexual orientation, saying it is a sign of ignorance to criticise him for his sexuality. Fact: Siasat.pk officially denied ever publishing this image or recording this statement from Gill. Azhar Mashwani, PTI’s chief digital strategist also denied on Gill’s behalf […]

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Claim: A video shows Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif physically fighting each other. Fact: The viral clip is AI-generated.  On 17 November 2024, a Facebook page called Phatan TV posted a video (archive) apparently showing Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) leaders Nawaz Sharif and his brother, prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, hitting each other. The frame […]

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  Claim: Imran Khan has admitted that the current government has managed to save the economy from collapsing. Fact: In his full statement, Khan says the current government has stifled economic growth to claim reduced inflation. According to senior PTI leader Salman Akram Raja, Khan said that there is no investment or jobs because there […]

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Claim: Open AI’s new model O3 will change everything since artificial general intelligence (AGI) is finally here. Fact: Open AI’s new reasoning model O3 is not equivalent to achieving AGI. On 6 December 2024, OpenAI launched a 12-day event called “12 Days of OpenAI”. Each day of the event, the company introduced a new feature […]

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  Claim: A new picture of Imran Khan shows him with a long beard, wearing a blue shalwar kameez and a dark blue waistcoat Fact: Khan has not grown a beard during his time in prison. The image being circulated recently is doctored. On 27 October 2024, an Instagram user shared a photograph of Imran […]

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Claim: PML-N has announced that they are ready to leave the government since they did not receive public support for their big decisions. Fact: Screenshots of news bulletins aired in 2022 were used to imply that the statement is a recent development. The PML-N leadership has not made any statements about the possibility of leaving […]

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Claim: The US Embassy in Islamabad has reportedly advised its staff to prepare for evacuation, as the UAE mediates a political settlement in Pakistan at the military’s request  Fact: The US embassy has made no such announcements.  On 26 November 2024, X user @soldierspeaks published a post (archive) claiming that the US embassy in Islamabad […]

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Claim: At the end of 2024, Elon Musk will launch a smartphone called Tesla Pi, with three key features exclusive to this phone. These include a solar-powered battery which doesn’t require the phone to be charged manually. It will also not require an internet connection since all Tesla Pi smartphones will be automatically connected to […]

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