Claim: A social media post claims that “condoms cannot prevent HIV” amid reports of a rise in HIV-positive cases in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad. Fact: Condoms are the most effective method to prevent HIV when used properly and consistently, according to multiple reputable public health organisations around the world, including the UNFPA, WHO, UNAIDS, CDC, NHS, […]
Claim: According to a viral WhatsApp message, a file titled “Mexico did it”, with an image showing “how Covid-19 is cured in Mexico” will install a virus on users’ phones in five seconds. Fact: We found the warning to be bogus; no such file exists. On 8 November 2022, Soch Fact Check received a WhatsApp […]
Claim: Pfizer executive Janine Small confessed in a recent revelation that Pfizer was never tested for its impact on preventing disease transmission. Fact: Pfizer and German vaccine maker BioNTech published a study on the vaccine in 2020 for its approval from Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which did not include any data on transmission impact […]
Claim: Manufactured potato crisps, which have dark-coloured spots and appear burnt, contain throat mold, which can be harmful. Fact: There is no type of mold called “throat mold”. The darkened parts of potato crisps are caused by over frying. On 19 September 2022, a social media influencer with 74,900 followers on Instagram shared an image […]
Claim: A child in the Pashtoon Abad neighbourhood of Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s Balochistan province, died due to the oral polio vaccine (OPV) administered to her in September 2022. Fact: The doctor who treated the child confirmed that she died due to severe pneumonia, a condition in which food or liquid enters the airways […]
Claim: A viral image shows a young girl who drowned in Balochistan during the recent monsoon flooding in Pakistan. Fact: The viral image is of a girl who drowned in River Kabul, Peshawar and was found by rescue services near Attock. On 27 July 2022, an image of an infant’s dead body went viral on […]
Claim: A new scam blocks and hacks an individual’s phone after a call from the number ‘912250041117’ asks the user to press 1 if they are vaccinated. Fact: The claim appears to be false. In Pakistan, no such number — whether landline or mobile phone — is operational. Numerous international fact-checking organisations have also debunked […]
Claim: Pakistan is a top destination for countries to dump their waste, with most countries opting to dispose of their waste in Pakistan. Fact: According to publicly available information, Pakistan’s relative share in the import of global waste is small. The misinformation appears connected to reports that 40 No Objection Certificates (“NOCs”) were issued to […]
Claim: An image of an x-ray of a set of teeth with a baby-like figure visible in the gum area is circulating on social media with the claim that a rare case of ectopic pregnancy in teeth has been reported at Karachi’s Carevian International Hospital. Fact: The image was posted as a joke by a […]
Claim: Hospitals across the country have stopped treating patients on Sehat Cards, following Imran Khan’s removal from office. Fact: Media reports suggest that public and private sector hospitals in the Rawalpindi division have surreptitiously denied treatment to patients under the Sehat Insaf Card. Soch Fact Check cannot confirm the veracity of these reports. However, the […]
Claim: A WhatsApp voice message warns people not to consume beef, loose milk, and yoghurt due to the Lumpy Skin Disease Virus (LSDV) that has infected cattle in Karachi and can transmit to humans, causing blisters. The WhatsApp message was accompanied by an image of a notification issued by a Government of Sindh department. Fact: […]
Claim: Poultry in Sindh and Balochistan are infected with different viruses that can be transmitted to humans such as Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) and Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD). Fact: No virus has been detected in poultry across Pakistan as confirmed by the Pakistan Poultry Association. Fact or Fiction? On March 14, Facebook page Balochistan TV […]