Claim: Director General of WHO Dr Tedros Adhanom has said that Disease X is a global problem and that we should be prepared for it. Fact: The World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos discussed Disease X, a hypothetical outbreak. Disease X is not a specific disease but is the name given to a potential novel […]
Claim: Senior politician and former National Assembly speaker Illahi Bukhsh Soomro passed away on 25 January 2024. Fact: Soomro’s family members have confirmed to Soch Fact Check and multiple news organisations that he is alive. On 25 January 2025 Business Recorder (later removed), Associated Press of Pakistan (later removed), Pakistan Today, The Frontier […]
Claim: The Government of Punjab announced that all educational institutions will remain closed from 25 January to 28 January 2024. Fact: Educational institutions are to remain open since no formal government notification was issued. On 24 January 2024, news started to spread that all educational institutions in Punjab have been recommended to close from 25 […]
Claim: PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal was hit by a shoe at a public rally as he began his campaign for the upcoming elections. Fact: The video is from March 2021, outside the National Assembly. There are no recent, credible news reports about Iqbal being attacked while campaigning. On 14 January 2024, vlogger Sabee Kazmi shared […]
Claim: The President of Pakistan pardoned Imran Khan’s sentence. Fact: The President of Pakistan has not pardoned Imran Khan’s sentence. An excerpt from Babar Awan’s press conference was shared on X with a false caption claiming that President Arif Alvi has pardoned Imran Khan’s sentence. On 22 January 2024, City42 and 24 News HD shared […]
Claim: Nawaz Sharif is the most popular leader in the country with a 60% approval rating, while Imran Khan is only at 53%, according to a recent survey conducted by Gallup Pakistan. Fact: According to the survey by Gallup Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif’s national positive approval rating has risen from 36% to 52% and Imran Khan’s […]
Claim: Former Finance Minister Miftah Ismail is joining the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). Fact: Contrary to the popular claim that he is joining the PPP, Ismail is actually taking a break from politics. On 11 January 2024, a video clip of Former Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, the Caretaker Prime Minister, Anwar ul Haq Kakar meeting […]
Claim: A Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Mehr Muhammad Waseem withdrew from Lahore’s NA-119 in favour of PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz. Fact: PTI’s candidate for Maryam Nawaz’s constituency was not Mehr Muhammad Waseem. On 21 January 2024, Geo News and Express Tribune, published articles titled “’Breakthrough’ for PML-N as PTI candidate withdraws in favour of Maryam Nawaz”, […]
Claim: Imtiaz Alam is contesting election from the constituency NA-161 Bahawalnagar on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s ticket. Fact: Imtiaz Alam is contesting in the upcoming general election from the constituency NA-161 Bahawalnagar on the Haqooq-e-Khalq party’s ticket. On 12 January 2024, several posts on X claimed that former journalist Imtiaz Alam is running for the February 2024 […]
Claim: Gharidahh Farooqi claimed to have exposed Mahrang Baloch’s big lie and revealed that her brother Nasir Baloch is in Quetta, Balochistan and is not missing. Fact: Mahrang Baloch did not claim that her brother Nasir Baloch was still missing in 2023 or 2024. He was reported missing in 2017 and Mahrang and other […]
Claim: The Chief Election Commissioner has resigned in a situation of political emergency. . Fact: The Chief Election Commissioner has not resigned. However, the secretary of the ECP, Omar Hamid has been excused from working on account of his ill health.. On 7 January 2024, a viral message on WhatsApp was shared with Soch Fact […]
Claim: Election Commission Pakistan (ECP) has imposed a ban on political surveys & opinion polls just ahead of general elections scheduled on 8 February 2024. Fact: ECP’s ban on political surveys is not recent. According to clause 12 of the ECP’s Code of Conduct for National Media, organisations and media persons are prohibited from entrance […]