Claim: A serving army general of Sweden, the richest country in the world, was photographed travelling home on a train. Fact: The picture does not show a Swedish military officer, as confirmed by the Swedish Armed Forces. He is not a military officer of the rank of a general either but a Czech Army officer, […]
Claim: Photos show Saudi Aramco’s new petrol station in Pakistan, with some posts stating it is located in Islamabad. Fact: The energy giant has not opened a new petrol station anywhere in Pakistan yet. A top official of Gas & Oil Pakistan Ltd told Soch Fact Check that a number of Aramco stations are slated […]
Claim: A video shows a large convoy of PTI supporters from Malakand travelling to Islamabad to attend the party’s rally near Sangjani on 8 September 2024. Fact: The video has nothing to do with the PTI’s rally in September. It was originally posted on 14 August 2024 and shows traffic at Chattar Top during Independence […]
Claim: Saudi Arabia banned Pakistani women and children from performing Hajj in 2025. Fact: Saudi Arabia issued specific guidelines for pilgrims heading for Hajj in 2025. People with advanced kidney or heart failure, chronic lung diseases, advanced liver cirrhosis, severe neurological and psychological conditions, and active infectious diseases, as well as cancer patients, elderly individuals […]
Claim: Elon Musk has acquired Stanford University. Fact: Elon Musk has not acquired Stanford University at all; the claim originates from a satirical article published in the student-run newspaper The Stanford Daily. On 5 September 2024, Facebook user ‘Tam M Pham’ posted (archive) a screenshot of an article with the headline, “Elon Musk acquires the […]
Claim: An image shows men praying while standing in water up to their chests as Bangladesh experienced floods in August 2024. Fact: The image is from 2021 and, therefore, unrelated to the 2024 floods in Bangladesh. Taken by photographer Sharwar Hussain Apo, it was aimed at highlighting the impact of climate change. On 24 August […]
Claim: A group of statues in Bangladesh’s Mujibnagar Memorial Complex, commemorating the signing of the Instrument of Surrender between India and Pakistan in 1971, was “demolished” during the 2024 protests. Fact: The statues in question were not “demolished” but just slightly damaged, according to evidence from news and video reports. A fact-checker in Bangladesh also […]
Claim: A viral message warns Pakistani people against conducting any online transactions as ATMs will remain closed for the next two to three days after a ransomware cyberattack in the country. It advises people not to open a video clip called the “Dance of the Hillary,” which is a virus that wipes one’s mobile phone […]
Claim: South Korean car manufacturer Kia has launched a vehicle named “Khan” to honour Imran Khan. Fact: The claim is false. The vehicle in question is not manufactured by Kia but by KG Mobility, also a South Korean company, which has confirmed that the SUV’s name is a reference to the Mongol Empire, not Imran […]
Claim: Pictures show overloaded clouds that fell to the ground in Mithi in Sindh’s Tharparkar. Fact: The claim is false as it is scientifically impossible for clouds to fall on the ground. Multiple experts have explained that the white blobs are likely some kind of industrial waste, wastewater with chemicals or just pollution, meaning that […]
Claim: The Economist digitally removed a flag of Palestine from its August 2024 cover story on the protests over government jobs quotas in Bangladesh. Fact: The claim is false. The Economist neither altered the image nor did it use artificial intelligence (AI) to remove the Palestinian flag. The magazine appears to have chosen another picture […]
Claim: A video shows Bangladesh’s defence minister and its former army chief hung on a bridge amid the student-led protests in August 2024. Fact: The clip does not show Bangladesh’s defence minister and its former army chief, but two unidentified individuals in the Baipayl area of its capital Dhaka. In fact, the defence ministry portfolio […]