Claim: A viral photo of jailed Afghan children is not from any prison in Sindh. Fact: Soch Fact Check confirms the picture is genuine and authentic following a visit to the lock-up where the photograph was taken. The cell is located inside the City Court in Karachi, Sindh. During a 30 December 2022 press conference, […]
Claim: A nighttime visual of the earth from space shows that Pakistan was wiped off the map and completely dark during a massive country-wide power outage. Fact: The image is doctored. The map, which is sourced from NASA Worldview, is based on satellite imagery and did not show Pakistan being wiped off due to the […]
Claim: Maulana Tariq Jamil has died. Fact: Maulana Tariq Jamil has not died. On 4 January 2023, YouTube channel Mudassar Online posted a video claiming that Pakistani preacher Maulana Tariq Jamil had passed away. The clip, archived here, is titled as follows: “افسوس ناک خبر مولانا طارق جمیل اچانک کے انتقال کر گئے کینیڈا سے […]
Claim: A video claims to show snowfall on the main grounds of the Kaaba, or the Grand Mosque of Saudi Arabia, for the first time in history. Fact: Saudi authorities have refuted the claim, saying the video is doctored. On 1 January 2023, a video surfaced on social media claiming that the Kaaba in Makkah’s […]
Claim: A video claims that WhatsApp will not be operational for multiple users starting on 31 December 2022. Fact: The video is misleading as WhatsApp pulls support from different out-of-date operating systems every year. It is nothing new and is instead presented sensationally as a “breaking news” report that may confuse users. On 27 December […]
Claim: The Islamic Republic of Iran has abolished the Guidance Patrol — commonly referred to as the “morality police” — in response to months of protests that erupted after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old girl, allegedly in custody. Fact: The claim is false as the authorities in Iran themselves denied that such a […]
Claim: US President Joe Biden threatened former prime minister Imran Khan with dire consequences and removal from the Prime Minister’s Office “if you don’t refrain from your acts” in a letter with the seal of the Executive Office of the President (EOP) of the United States. Fact: The letter is doctored; the EOP issued no […]
Claim: A video shows a cat invading the field and scoring a goal during a 2022 FIFA World Cup match in Qatar. Fact: The clip is not real. The cat’s guardian confirmed to Soch Fact Check that they edited and created the footage in 2019. On 16 December 2022, Facebook page ‘ʙᴀʏᴇᴢɪᴅ ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ᴠʟᴏɢ’ posted […]
Claim: A video shows a 70-year-old Pakistani man travelling by foot to attend the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Fact: The elderly backpacker is actually a supporter of former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and was jogging to join the Haqeeqi Azadi March from Lahore to Islamabad. The clip has no […]
Claim: The Government of Brazil has permitted its citizens to start killing bike-riding muggers in a bid to bring down street crime. Fact: There is no such law in Brazil. The video accompanying the viral claim comprises footage of different incidents where citizens either acted in self-defence or helped fellow citizens during muggings; however, they […]
Claim: The Banco Central de la República Argentina (BCRA), or the Central Bank of the Argentine Republic, has or is set to issue banknotes featuring the face of Argentine professional footballer Lionel Messi following the victory of the country’s national team in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Fact: The press department of the […]
Claim: A video shows Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan receiving a “grand welcome” at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Fact: The video is more than four years old when Shah Rukh Khan made an appearance at the inauguration ceremony of Indian chain Kalyan Jewellers’ outlet in Doha, Qatar. On 19 December 2022, Facebook […]