Claim: The ruling PTI has asked Iftikhar Ahmed Lund, former central vice president of its Sindh chapter, to keep his “iron rod” ready for July 23 by-polls in the province’s Ghotki constituency. Fact: The story, while true, is from 2019 when by-polls were scheduled to take place in Sindh’s Ghotki constituency. On 17 January 2022, […]
Claim: A video shows Indian Hindu men harassing young burqa-clad female students by throwing water on them as they make their way to class. Fact: The video is from a university in Sri Lanka where senior students can be seen ‘ragging’ first-year students. On 10 February 2022, Pakistani columnist Orya Maqbool Jan shared a video […]
Claim: Bill Gates has called for the withdrawal of COVID-19 vaccines after admitting that the pandemic was “a farce”. Fact: Bill Gates did not call for a withdrawal of COVID-19 vaccines nor did he make the other statements attributed to him in the viral WhatsApp chain message. The message is false as it is based […]
Claim: The Government of Punjab has made it mandatory for boys and girls to wear caps and scarves, respectively, in schools across the province. Fact: Schoolchildren will only be required to wear caps and scarves when attending the classes reserved for Quran recitation and teaching. On 17 January 2022, journalist Hasan Zaidi, Dawn’s editor for […]
Claim: A scenic motorway-bridge high in the mountains was built under the leadership of PML-N supremo and former prime minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif. Fact: The motorway-bridge is located in Austria, not Pakistan, and has no connection to Sharif. On 1 January 2022, Facebook user ‘Hayat Yusofzai’ posted an image showing a motorway passing through […]
Claim: Astronaut Mark Kelly smuggled a full gorilla suit on board the International Space Station (ISS). Fact: Mark was not aboard the ISS but on Earth. However, Mark was the one who sent the gorilla suit to his twin, Scott, who was on the space station, as a ‘care package’. The brothers are former astronauts. […]
Claim: A video circulating on social media allegedly depicts an excavator crane crashing into a ditch while carrying out relief work in Murree following a disastrous road blockage that left 22 dead. Fact: The video does show a crane overturning and slipping into a ditch, but it is from 2020 and was not taken in […]
Claim: The animal in the photograph is a Himalayan Yak captured on camera in Khaplu Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan. Fact: The photo shows a bison, not a yak, and was taken by Tom Murphy in Yellowstone National Park in the United States. On 1 January 2022, a tweet was sent to Soch Fact Check for verification. In […]
Claim: A truck driver who was stopped on Karachi’s University Road for allegedly offending the religious sentiments of Muslims said his vehicle is owned by PepsiCo India. Fact: The truck in question does not belong to PepsiCo India, nor did the driver say his truck is owned by PepsiCo India. The word ‘India’ was not […]
Claim: Prime Minister Imran Khan has ordered banks to implement a ‘shalwar kameez’ dress code. Fact: Khan made the comment informally, perhaps as a joke, and did not issue any orders or endorse the idea in any official capacity. On 30 December 2021, Pakistani news website Global Village Space (GVS) published a report headlined, “Wear […]
Claim: The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) collaborated with Government College University (GCU) Lahore to organise the Harry Potter Festival in December 2021. Fact: The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) had no involvement in the Harry Potter Festival hosted by Government College University (GCU) Lahore, according to an official of the WCLA. On […]
Claim: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was “expelled from the Conference of Islamic Countries” over his condemnation of the Shree Ram Temple’s construction in Ayodhya, India. The Saudi Arabian king kicked him out and was lauded by other Islamic countries. Fact: Khan did not attend the 47th CFM meeting in 2020 that was mentioned in […]