Claim: A photo shows a huge crowd in Islamabad with some people holding passports and fleeing Pakistan due to the current economic crisis. Fact: The photo dates back to October 2020 when Afghans queued up in Jalalabad, Afghanistan to collect the tokens needed to apply for Pakistan’s visa. On 16 February 2023, Twitter user @rjs32826722 […]
Claim: A group of Indian doctors have invented a piece of advanced equipment to remove coronary artery blockages called Megavac, a mechanical thrombectomy system which removes blockages, mitigating the need for open-heart surgery. Fact: Megavac was created by Dr Richard Fulton, who has also made the SonoGlo and the MammoMark. He clarified that he developed […]
Claim: Zartaj Gul tweeted a photo of Imran Khan sitting next to a woman with the caption, “he was a strange king; he used to seat the poor in the front at a gathering of kings.” Fact: The image was doctored to make it appear as if Khan was sitting closer to the woman than […]
Claim: A viral social media post claims that PTI leader Shaukat Tarin had been arrested by the FIA. Fact: He has not been arrested, but he has been charged and may be taken into custody in the near future. In August 2022, two audio clips surfaced of a telephone conversation between PTI Senator Shaukat Tarin […]
Claim: WHO guidelines on brain stroke claim 7 “biggest brain damaging habits” Fact: The claim is false, as the WHO had not declared such a list. On 29 January 2023 and again on 9 February 2023, Soch Fact Check received a viral image on WhatsApp which claimed the World Health Organization (WHO) identified seven habits […]
Claim: CCTV footage shows a recent mugging at an ATM in Karachi. Fact: The CCTV footage is old and can be found online as early as April 2009. The video does not show a recent mugging at an ATM in Karachi. On 2 February 2023, Facebook user ‘Haris Gulzar’ posted a video (archive) showing what […]
Claim: A visual with the K-Electric’s logo states that the per-unit electricity charges effective “today” are PKR 42 during peak hours (6:00-10:30 PM) and PKR 24 during off-peak hours (the remaining time of the day). It is unclear which day or date the word “today” in the message refers to. Further, the text advises people […]
Claim: A news grab of Hum News’ bulletin suggests that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Maryam Nawaz has said that people from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf are jealous of her beauty. Fact: The media outlet did not air any such news, nor did the PML-N leader make any such comment. The news grab doing the rounds on […]
Claim: A video shows Pakistanis slaughtering dogs and donkeys for meat amid the economic crisis and skyrocketing inflation. Fact: The video, which shows a female anchor raiding an illegal slaughterhouse in Karachi selling donkey and dog meat during an Abb Takk News’ show, is from 2015. Fact or Fiction? On 14 February 2023, Twitter user […]
Claim: A lecturer at the Islamia College University (ICU) in Peshawar, who was shot dead on 19 February 2023, was involved in drug peddling. Fact: The lecturer, Dr Bashir Ahmad, was acquitted of all charges in a case of drug peddling that was brought against him in 2017. He was formally cleared in 2019, according […]
Claim: The eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has been postponed following an attack on the Karachi police chief’s office on 17 February 2023. The Asia Cup cricket tournament is moving out of Pakistan. Fact: PSL 8 has not been affected by the attack and will continue as scheduled, according to the Pakistan […]
Claim: Shireen Mazari says the government of Pakistan has bowed to their US counterparts by allowing the Americans to use the country’s airspace for military purposes despite the proposal being rejected by the cabinet. Fact: The claim is false. No such development has taken place. Moreover, the visuals used by Mazari are not only old […]