Claim: A photo showing several injured police officers in a hospital is from the Bahawalnagar incident when members of the Pakistan Armed Forces assaulted police officers. Fact: The photo is from last year when members of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) attacked the Lahore police. On 12 April 2024, several social media users shared an image of […]
Claim: The government has announced Eid ul Fitr holidays from 9 April to 13 April 2024. Fact: The Ministry of Interior officially refuted these notifications on 31 March, declaring them fake. Moreover, an official notification published on the Cabinet Secretariat division’s website on 4 April states that Eid holidays are from 10 to 13 April […]
Claim: A photograph shows journalist Gharida Farooqi kissing a dog on the bed. Fact: The viral image is being falsely linked to Farooqi. The woman in the image is Indian fitness model and trainer Aditi Mistry. On 2 April 2023 a photograph of a woman kissing a dog was shared on social media, with varying […]
Claim: A video circulating on social media shows former US President Donald Trump pledging to help former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan get out of jail and regain power if he wins the 2024 US presidential election. Fact: The video in question is a deepfake, artificially generated by an application known as ParrotAI. This app […]
Claim: Olympic athlete, javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem is raising funds through X (formerly Twitter) for a new javelin Fact: Nadeem has not asked anyone to raise funds for a new javelin On 3 March 2024, social media user Muneeb Farrukh shared a post on X with a photograph of javelin-thrower Arshad Nadeem and a caption […]
Claim: In a government school, students chanted “Imran Khan Zindabad” to show their support for the former Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Fact: During Independence Day celebrations on 14 August 2023, students at the Lahore Polytechnic Institute raised slogans in favour of the Pakistan Army, which were misconstrued as chants for Imran Khan. On 19 […]
Claim: The newly elected Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, has suspended the 800,000 arms licenses issued throughout the province. Fact: Maryam Nawaz has not suspended 800,000 arms licences in Punjab, according to the Chief Minister’s spokesperson. On 27 February 2024, several social media users, as well as news channels, such as ARY News […]
Claim: Ataullah Tarar stated in a press conference that the social media platform X is not blocked in Pakistan. Fact: Contrary to Tarar’s claim, evidence suggests that X has been restricted in Pakistan since 17 February 2024. On 13 March 2024, Federal Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ataullah Tarar held a press conference to claim […]
Claim: Artist and writer Anwar Maqsood was abducted and subjected to torture. He has also been banned from appearing on TV channels and from attending military programs. Fact: Maqsood has denied the claim, even reaching out to Geo News’ Mazhar Abbas to clarify that he was never kidnapped or tortured. Geo News also confirmed that […]
Claim: A teacher from an all-girls government school has been fired from her job for suggesting to Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz Sharif that the presence of her team is confusing the students, during the latter’s tour of one of the classrooms. Fact: Samina Shahid, the woman who can be seen addressing Maryam Nawaz […]
Claim: Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (SKMCH & RC) is not being allowed to raise funds. It is unable to treat patients because the Pakistani authorities have frozen its bank accounts. Fact: SKMCH & RC is not facing disruptions in raising funds. Dr Faisal Sultan, CEO of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital […]
Claim: YouTube, X, and all other social media apps and accounts are inaccessible in Pakistan, while they are still accessible in other parts of the world, such as Europe and other Western countries. Fact: Meta platforms Facebook, Instagram, and Threads faced a worldwide outage, becoming inaccessible for tens of thousands of people across the globe. […]