Hamna Iqbal Baig

Hamna Baig is a fact-checker at Soch Fact Check. She has a BA in Media Sciences from Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology and an MA in Multimedia Journalism from the University of Kent. Her stories have appeared in an international media outlet, Pioneers Post as well as in local online and print publications in Pakistan; DAWN, ARY News and SAMAA Digital. She covers culture, social issues and social entrepreneurship as a freelance journalist.

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Claim: Videos show Hamas fighters shooting down Israeli helicopters amid the recent escalation between Israel and Palestine. Fact: The clips were shared on social media in February and October, before the escalation, and are actually from the video game Arma 3. Al Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, launched a “surprise attack” on Israel […]

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Claim: Two videos show the Israeli Air Force bombing different targets in Gaza, Palestine amid the recent escalation between Israel and Palestine. Fact: The videos are from May 2023, not the recent escalation. The first video shows Israeli airstrikes destroying a house in the Al-Zaytoun neighbourhood in Gaza, Palestine, and the second video shows a […]

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Claim: A video shows Hamas fighters paragliding into Israel amid the recent escalation between Israel and Palestine. Fact: The video is unrelated to the Palestine-Israel escalation. It is old and shows paragliders flying around the Egyptian Military Academy in Cairo. Al Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas,  launched an attack on Israel on 7 […]

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Claim: Lahore’s population is more than Karachi according to the seventh digital census data. Fact: The city of Lahore has not surpassed Karachi’s population, but the Lahore division is the most populous division. The Lahore division comprises four Districts — Kasur, Lahore, Nankana Sahib and Sheikhupura. Fact or Fiction? On 8 August 2023, The Express […]

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Claim: A video shows the Greek coastguard firing at a boat carrying migrants in the Mediterranean Sea to drown them.  Fact: The video is unrelated to the Greece boat tragedy. It is from July 2021 when the Libyan coastguard shot at a crowded migrant boat in an attempt to prevent it from crossing into Europe.  […]

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Claim: Imran Khan enclosures at Multan and Lahore cricket stadiums have been removed. Fact: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that the enclosure was live for Multan games and there are still tickets left for the Lahore leg of the tournament. Fact or Fiction? On 15 August 2023, X (formerly Twitter) user M.Rehan Rabbani (@RehanRabbani333) […]

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Claim: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar was arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on 20 August 2023 from Islamabad. Fact: Umar has refuted reports of his arrest by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The politician’s son also confirmed to Soch Fact Check that the former minister was in Karachi at the time. Umar […]

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Claim: A photo shows former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan offering prayers inside Attock jail. Fact: The photo is doctored. It actually shows PTI’s senior leader Ali Mohammad Khan in Mardan jail.  Imran Khan was sentenced to three years in prison on 5 August 2023 after an Islamabad trial court indicted […]

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Claim: A video shows Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers and supporters protesting outside Attock jail, following former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s arrest. Fact: The video is from February 2023, when PTI leaders and activists gathered outside Peshawar’s Central Prison to voluntarily give arrests as part of their “Jail Bharo Tehreek”. PTI chief Imran Khan was sentenced […]

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Claim: A video shows Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) Senator Anwaar ul Haq Kakar during a National Assembly session. Fact: Kakar, the newly appointed interim prime minister of Pakistan, has been misidentified in the video. It actually shows former PPP MNA Sikandar Ali Rahoupoto. Fact or Fiction? On 12 August 2023, Twitter user Rubab Hayat (@shuglisam) […]

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Claim: President Dr Arif Alvi has signed the Official Secrets Amendment Bill 2023 and the Pakistan Army Act Amendment Bill 2023. Fact: The president denied signing or assenting to changes being made to both bills. Fact or Fiction? On 19 August 2023, Business Recorder posted on X (formerly Twitter), that President Alvi has signed the Official […]

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Claim: The University of Hull invited Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Humayun Dilawar for judicial training on human rights and the rule of law in London.  Fact: The participants for the training programme, which has been running since 2014, are selected by their respective High Courts. The University of Hull clarified that it has […]

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