Claim: The Newsweek magazine’s cover page for its December 2021 issue features bold text stating that “Pakistan proved the prophecy right” — referring to an October 2007 cover — since “it has been declared the most intolerant nation in the world”. Fact: The Newsweek magazine published four issues in December 2021; none of them featured […]
Claim: A video is being circulated with the claim that Prime Minister Imran Khan has suffered a serious injury — possibly a spinal cord fracture — following a fall from an elevator. According to the claims, Khan has been hospitalized and will undergo an operation. Fact: Khan has not been recently injured; the video is […]
Claim: Pakistan received $70 million in stolen antiquities after US billionaire Michael Steinhardt surrendered his collection. Fact: None of Steinhardt’s stolen antiquities are of Pakistani origin and the country and no artifacts were returned to Pakistan in December 2021. On 10 December 2021, Soch Fact Check received the link to an Instagram post stating that […]
Claim: Modern zoological research suggests that crows have a proper court system with specific punishments for particular crimes. The court system protects individuals and/or groups from oppression. The claims compare the so-called courts of the crows to Shariah, or Islamic law. Fact: Animals do not hold court or cast sentences, according to avian ethologist Dr […]
Claim: In his speech at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting regarding Afghanistan held in Islamabad, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said, “Human rights and women rights are different.” Fact: Posts sharing the quote are misrepresenting Khan’s words and missing context; referring to Afghanistan, the prime minister actually said, […]
Claim: Pakistan has been labeled the “most dangerous nation” on the cover page of Newsweek’s latest issue. The cover features an image of screaming clerics. Fact: While Newsweek did publish the cover in question, it did so in 2007, almost 14 years ago. On 6 December 2021, what was claimed to be the cover page […]
Claim: The divorce rate in Pakistan has hit an all-time high, according to a recent survey. Fact: The divorce rate in Pakistan in 2021 has not hit an all-time high; the survey by Gallup & Gilani Pakistan cited in the news reports in question dates back to 2019. Moreover, that survey was based on the […]
Claim: Spotify CEO Daniel Ek has said that South Asians love music but it’s “not easy to make South Asians pay” as they “want it for free only.” Fact: Ek did not make any such comment. The quote being attributed to him is “incorrect”, according to Asiatic Public Relations Network, the communications and public relations […]
Claim: Viral video shows ‘magic’ stone from Afghanistan’s Wardak province that can melt metal. Fact: The video, in fact, shows nails made of gallium — a metal with a melting point of 29.76°C — melting moments after coming into contact with a rock, which was likely warm due to the hot weather. On 28 November […]
Claim: Belarus has announced visa-free entry for Pakistanis. Fact: Belarus has introduced a new visa system for Pakistanis. To qualify, Pakistanis traveling to Belarus must have a valid multiple-entry visa of one of the European Union or the Schengen Area countries, as well as return tickets through airports in any of six specific cities, at […]
Claim: Pakistan’s ranking in the Global Food Security Index (GFSI) has improved by three places during the first three years of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government. Fact: Pakistan’s ranking in the GFSI has only improved by one place. While the country’s scores for ‘Availability’ and ‘Quality and Safety’ improved between 2016 and 2021, those for […]
Claim: According to a viral message circulating on WhatsApp, a natural gas shutdown will be implemented across the country, including Karachi, from 1 December 2021. The text, which is being attributed to Pakistan’s Energy Minister Hammad Azhar, provided three discrete daily time slots during which the shutdown would be lifted and gas supplied. Fact: No […]