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.

True False

Claim: Eight UAE planes have landed at airports in Israel, carrying military aid and equipment for the Israeli army. Fact: This claim is false and reports developments from last year out of context. There is no evidence of the UAE supplying military aid to Israel in the ongoing war.  On 7 October 2023, the Al […]

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Claim: A video posted on social media in October 2023 shows a pro-Palestinian demonstration on UCLA’s campus with people chanting, “We want Jewish genocide.” Fact: The claim is false. The video does not show the demonstrators chanting, “We want Jewish genocide.” Instead, they are saying, “Israel, Israel, you can’t hide. We charge you with genocide.” […]

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True False

Claim: A video from Hezbollah’s social media shows the terror group’s members and their supporters attempting to climb over the fence and enter Israel amidst the recent Israel-Palestine war. Other versions claim the video shows Lebanese civilians climbing the fence in an attempt to reach Gaza, while others claim it shows Gazan citizens trying to […]

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True False

Claim: Maulana Fazl ur Rahman claimed that half of Pakistan will be facing snowfall if elections are held in January 2024.  Fact: The JUI-F politician’s statement is not true as half of Pakistan will not experience snowfall at the time of the elections. Moreover, most of the areas he listed himself will not face snowfall, […]

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Claim: Jewish students at Cooper Union College New York were locked inside the library for their own safety as a mob of Hamas supporting students attempted to break in. Fact: The video shows a peaceful protest by pro-Palestinian students who were chanting slogans outside the library. The protest was planned and there was no property […]

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True False

Claim: The Colombian government has expelled the Israeli ambassador from their country.   Fact: The Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Peace announced on his officially verified X (formerly Twitter) account that the state has not expelled the Israeli ambassador, and that it was a misrepresentation of an informal statement that he tweeted in response to […]

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Claim: The Taliban have announced that they have asked Iran, Iraq and Jordan to grant them passage to Israel. They have stated that their intent is to “conquer Jerusalem”. Fact: The Afghan Taliban spokesperson has refuted the claim that the Taliban are seeking permission from neighbouring countries to access a passage to Israel after the […]

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Claim: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) raided former minister Shazia Marri’s house and recovered 97 billion rupees in cash.  Fact: This is false. In response, Shazia Marri sent a legal notice to the Public News reporter who allegedly spread the fake news On 2 September 2023, at 8:21 pm, a Public News reporter published a […]

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Claim: A viral video on social media claimed that an imam of Masjid Al Haram, Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, issued a statement in support of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and praised his efforts for the Muslim ummah. Fact: Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, one of the nine Imam’s of Masjid Al Haram, did not […]

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Claim: Mohammed bin Salman said as long as Imran Khan, who he referred to as his elder brother, is in jail, he cannot visit Pakistan. Fact: No such statement was issued by Prince Salman or his office.  On 10 September 2023, an X (formerly, Twitter) user shared an image of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin […]

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Claim:  COAS Asim Munir has overpowered the dollar, dealt with inflation, and conducted a Mission Clean Sweep, in which he cracked down on dollar smugglers. His efforts have resulted in the value of the US dollar falling by Rs 150 against the rupee.  Fact: On 10 September 2023, NPG Politics posted a video on Facebook […]

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True False

Correction: This article was edited after publishing to change the terms “Pakistan-occupied Kashmir” to “Pakistan-administered Kashmir” Claim: The United Arab Emirates endorsed India’s territorial division of the sub-continent, which considers Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir as Indian territory. Fact: The UAE Deputy Prime Minister only shared a video which included an image of a map which […]

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