Claim: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is tying the knot with Mahenoor Soomro, granddaughter of Pakistan Peoples Party’s founding member late Ruqiya Khanum Soomro. Fact: Mahenoor has denied the rumours, urging people to avoid spreading fake news regarding her marriage. Fact or Fiction? On 20 October 2022, the Facebook page Jaanlo claimed that PPP chairman Bilawal […]
Claim: An image widely shared on social media claims that it shows pro-government rallies in Iran held to counter anti-hijab protests in September 2022. Fact: The image is not from recent protests but from a December 2017 protest in Tehran, Iran. On 24 September 2022, a Facebook user posted an image with a caption that, […]
Claim: A video shared on social media claims that it shows a man at the funeral of his daughter, who was purportedly killed by Iranian morality police for not covering her hair. Fact: The claim is false. The video is not from Iran; it is actually a clip from an episode of an Azerbaijani television […]
Claim: A data table shows that 28,723 people changed the gender they were assigned at birth through the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) from July 2018 to June 2021. Fact: The NADRA has categorically termed the portrayal of the data as “misinterpretation”, saying that it is “not related to gender reassignment”. A spokesperson, Faik […]
Claim: Pakistani mixed spices company Shan Foods Limited has launched a recipe masala packet called ‘Punjabi Biryani’ and claimed it is “World Famous in Punjab.” Fact: Shan Foods Limited has been manufacturing ‘Punjabi Biryani’ recipe masala packets for a few years now. A senior official at the company says the product is not recent; the […]
Claim: A video shows gunmen opening fire at a crowd in the Pul-e-Khumri area of Afghanistan, reportedly killing 51 people over a dispute about a donkey. Fact: The video is from an 8 September 2022 incident, when two groups in Karachi, Pakistan clashed over a money dispute. Fact or Fiction? On 15 September 2022, Daily […]
Claim: A social media video claims that it shows a woman cutting her hair and protesting in Iran. Fact: The claim is misleading. The video is from Germany, where protesting in solidarity with Iranian women. On 25 September 2022, a Twitter user posted a video with the caption “Here is a woman leading a rally […]
Claim: Mohenjo-Daro will likely be removed from the list of World Heritage sites. Fact: Mohenjo-Daro was never under consideration for removal, and UNESCO has directed $350,000 to the recovery and restoration of heritage sites in Pakistan in the aftermath of the flood. On 4 September 2022, a Facebook post claimed that Mohenjo-Daro will likely be […]
Claim: 28-year-old Pakistani cricketer Usman Khan Shinwari has passed away from a heart attack while playing a cricket match. Fact: Usman Khan Shinwari did not pass away. His 46-year-old namesake, Usman Shinwari, passed away from a heart attack while playing a Corporate League match in Lahore. Fact or Fiction? On 25 September 2022, club cricketer […]
Claim: A video of a grand birthday party that had gone viral on social media is from Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari’s son’s birthday. Fact: The video is not from Zardari’s son’s birthday but from a birthday in Sialkot. It went viral on social media before the wrongly attributed claim as social media users shared it, commenting […]
Claim: The tallest skyscraper in China -fourth tallest building in the world- caught fire, leaving six hundred people dead. It was the biggest fire since 9/11. An additional claim in social media posts argues that the fire was an American conspiracy plan. Fact: No casualties from the incident were reported. Furthermore, the building is not […]
Claim: A screenshot of Afghan cricket player Farid Malik apologising after for a recent on-field feud with Pakistan’s Asif Ali was widely shared on social media Fact: The Twitter account purportedly representing Farid Malik is fake, and neither player has issued an apology for the verbal spat, which turned violent. Pakistan’s cricket team faced off […]