Claim: A photo of a model walking on a ramp with a plaster cast on her leg during a fashion show in Pakistan. The model’s look is apparently inspired by the cast Imran Khan wore on his leg following a gun attack in 2022. Fact: The image is doctored. It is from a 2016 fashion […]
Claim: Pakistani website MM News says claims about the prediction of an earthquake in Pakistan, India or Afghanistan were “falsely attributed” to Dutch researcher Frank Hoogerbeets. It further states that none of the three aforementioned countries’ names or those of any other South Asian nation appeared on his Twitter account or the website of his […]
Claim: A video shows an Indian aeroplane making an emergency landing at an airport in Pakistan. Fact: The video was uploaded in September 2022 by YouTube channel BBB-Gaming, which flagged it as a “flight simulation” and “not real”. On 5 January 2023, Facebook page ‘Mr Joy YT’ uploaded a video showing an aeroplane marked ‘Air […]
Claim: Dutch researcher Frank Hoogerbeets tweeted a list of “safety rules [for] when an earthquake occurs”, including asking God for help. Fact: Hoogerbeets did not tweet such a list. On 8 February 2023, Twitter account @Frank_Hoogerbee (archive) posted a tweet stating “safety rules [for] when an earthquake occurs”. According to @Frank_Hoogerbee, these rules are as […]
Claim: A video shows a building collapsing following the Turkey earthquake. Fact: The video is, in fact, from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and surfaced on the Internet at least a few days before the Turkey earthquake. On 7 February 2023, Twitter account @Richtasy posted a video showing a building crashing inwards as multiple vehicles are […]
Claim: CCTV footage shows a recent mugging at an ATM in Karachi. Fact: The CCTV footage is old and can be found online as early as April 2009. The video does not show a recent mugging at an ATM in Karachi. On 2 February 2023, Facebook user ‘Haris Gulzar’ posted a video (archive) showing what […]
Claim: Author Salman Rushdie recently said, “The large majority of peaceful Muslims don’t matter because I was attacked by just one Muslim who followed Quran. All religions are not same because they have not codified death to whoever doesn’t believe in their religion. On my life I want to warn the world that Islam will […]
Claim: ARY News on 9 February 2023 published a news report with the headline, “Student, 16, stabbed to death by schoolmates,” making it appear as if the incident occurred in Pakistan. Fact: The stabbing, in fact, took place in Haryana’s Faridabad district in India. ARY News’ report and relevant links on Facebook and Twitter are […]
Claim: A visual with the K-Electric’s logo states that the per-unit electricity charges effective “today” are PKR 42 during peak hours (6:00-10:30 PM) and PKR 24 during off-peak hours (the remaining time of the day). It is unclear which day or date the word “today” in the message refers to. Further, the text advises people […]
Claim: A lecturer at the Islamia College University (ICU) in Peshawar, who was shot dead on 19 February 2023, was involved in drug peddling. Fact: The lecturer, Dr Bashir Ahmad, was acquitted of all charges in a case of drug peddling that was brought against him in 2017. He was formally cleared in 2019, according […]
Claim: Shireen Mazari says the government of Pakistan has bowed to their US counterparts by allowing the Americans to use the country’s airspace for military purposes despite the proposal being rejected by the cabinet. Fact: The claim is false. No such development has taken place. Moreover, the visuals used by Mazari are not only old […]
Claim: A Twitter account claims that Section 144 has been imposed in Karachi and authorities have advised people to stay at home after more than 10 Baloch freedom fighters attacked the Karachi police chief’s office at Shahrah-e-Faisal, alongside an image of the site of the attack. Fact: No official announcement has been made about Section […]