Claim: A photo shows the mother and grandmother of former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Supremo, Nawaz Sharif, and claims they played the drum in the streets of Amritsar in colonial India. Fact: The picture, in fact, shows two people from the khawajasira community. The image, which was taken between 1890 and 1894, […]
Claim: Pictures in various posts claim to show recent snowfall in Islamabad. Fact: There has not been any snowfall in Islamabad in December 2022 or January 2023. On 1 January 2023, images surfaced on social media claiming that Islamabad received snowfall for the first time in history. Soch Fact Check also received the clip on […]
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: 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: According to a survey conducted by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), half of all Pakistanis will leave Pakistan if they have a chance Fact: PIDE’s November 2022 survey states that 37% of people answered yes to the question, “Would you leave Pakistan if given the chance?” On 14 December 2022, an Instagram […]
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 […]
Claim: A social media video shows a rat munching on a piece of cake during a meeting at the Chief Secretary’s Office in Balochistan. Fact: The claim is misleading. The video was first shared in Indian-administrated Kashmir and later went viral with people claiming it was taken in Balochistan, Pakistan. On 7 December 2022, a […]
Claim: Social media post claim that five tons of frog meat was seized by the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) and Punjab Police, and two people in Lahore were arrested in connection with the case. The meat is being used at hotels and restaurants in the city as a replacement for chicken. Fact: The claim is […]
Claim: Viral social media messages claim that applications for Canada’s visa lottery program are open. It says that the Canadian Government has increased the number of visas issued to people through visa lottery by 500% in 2022. The viral message is accompanied by a link to sign up for the visa lottery. Fact: The claim […]
Claim: Pakistan won the World Polo Championship 2022 by beating Mexico in the Final 11-8. Fact: Spain won the World Polo Championship 2022. The Pakistan team defeated Mexico in a match 11-8, placing it in 5th position in the world cup rankings. On 9 November 2022, a Twitter handle called @CPEC_UPDATE claimed that Pakistan had […]
Claim: An image on social media claims to show the People’s Bus stuck in a sinkhole in Larkana. Fact: The claim is false. The photo actually shows a 2018 accident involving a Metro Bus. On 19 November 2022, a Facebook user shared an image of a bus in a sinkhole with an Urdu caption which, […]
Claim: According to a viral WhatsApp message, people in Lahore’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) have been handing out visiting cards laced with a debilitating drug called burundanga to unsuspecting motorists stopped at petrol stations in order to rob, kidnap or sexually assault them. Fact: No crime involving the use of burundanga-laced visiting cards has been […]