Claim: A cartoon circulating on WhatsApp and social media that appears to depict the Pakistani military’s extensive involvement in the country’s political affairs was allegedly published in The New York Times. Fact: The cartoon was created by Indian artist Mujaid Alam and first surfaced online in 2020. It was never published in The New York […]
Claim: An image circulating on Facebook allegedly depicts limestone rocks located near Astola Island, a small island in Balochistan, Pakistan. Fact: The claim is false. The image is from Cabo San Lucas, a resort city at the southern tip of Mexico, where limestone rocks known as “El Arco” have formed over time as a result […]
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: A video shows dark grey clouds looming over the shores of Karachi, Pakistan as the city expects severe thunderstorms. Fact: The video is, in fact, from 2021 when Hurricane Olaf struck the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. On 14 July 2022, Soch Fact Check received a WhatsApp forwarded chain message containing a video of […]
Claim: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won the recent by-election in Swat by defeating a “13-party coalition of PDM [Pakistan Democratic Movement] single handedly”. Fact: There were four candidates in the Swat by-election, including one each from the PTI, the Awami National Party (ANP), and the Tehreek-e-Inqelab Political Movement (TiPM), as well as an independent. The […]
Claim: The current PMLN-led coalition government has not allocated any funds to the Kashmir Affairs & Gilgit Baltistan Division under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) for the 2022-2023 financial year. Fact: Gilgit Baltistan & Azad Jammu & Kashmir (also known as Pakistan-administered Kashmir) will receive a combined total of PKR 52.6 billion under the […]
Claim: Multinational Japanese automobiles manufacturer Suzuki has decided to discontinue the GS150 motorcycle in Pakistan and launch a new motorcycle with a 125cc engine. Fact: Suzuki has not announced any plans to discontinue the GS150 motorcycle in Pakistan and launch a new 125cc motorcycle. On 23 June 2022, Startup Pakistan shared an image on their […]
Claim: Russian Consul General Andrey Fedorov has said his country “will provide oil on cheap rates if [the] Pakistan government contacted us” and confirmed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s claim that his government was in talks with Russia to buy oil at a “30% discounted rate”. Fact: Fedorov made no such comment. At a press conference, the […]
Claim: A photo of a damaged road depicts the aftermath of a powerful 6.1 magnitude earthquake that struck Afghanistan on 21 June 2022. Fact: The photo actually shows a large crack in the road arising from a major earthquake that hit Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), also known as Pakistan-administered Kashmir, in September 2019. Fact […]
Claim: A video shared on social media shows motorcycles slipping and toppling over on a flyover in Sanpada, Navi Mumbai due to the monsoon rain. Fact: The video was taken in Karachi, Pakistan, not Navi Mumbai, and shows motorcycles slipping and toppling over on Rashid Minhas road — near the Millenium Mall — following a […]
Claim: The Government of Pakistan has released an image of a PKR 75 commemorative note which will be issued on the occasion of Pakistan’s 75th Independence Day on 14 August 2022. Fact: The claim is misleading. While the State Bank of Pakistan plans on issuing PKR 75 notes to mark Pakistan’s 75th Independence Day, the […]
Claim: According to a video shared online, a Western judge decided to forgive a 15-year-old boy who was apprehended for stealing bread for his ailing mother. The video ends with a statement about how Pakistan’s judges are failing, while judges in the Western World are carrying out justice. Fact: The claim made in the video […]