Claim: On the day a local court handed down the judgment sentencing Zahir Jaffer to death for the murder of Noor Mukadam, BBC News published a story titled, “Noor Muqaddam: Diplomat’s daughter beheaded for spurning proposal.” Fact: Noor Mukadam was found dead at Zahir Jaffer’s home in July 2021. The BBC News headline is misleading […]
Claim: An elderly woman on February 4 died after being injured in a crowd of people lined up to get sugar. Fact: The photo of the elderly woman is, in fact, from 2009. On 4 February 2022, Twitter user @iqra_k12 shared the picture of an elderly woman holding a white bag while standing in a […]
Claim: A photo shows former Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senator Sehar Kamran alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin. Fact: Kamran is not currently in Russia. While Kamran did take a selfie with Putin in 2018, a doctored photo of the two is currently going viral. On 23 February 2022, Twitter user @Zakr1a shared a photo of […]
Claim: Afghan cricketer Rashid Khan will be available to play for the Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) final scheduled for 27 February 2022. Fact: The star spinner has said he will not be available to play at the PSL final due to commitments with the Afghanistan cricket team. Fact or Fiction? On […]
Claim: In a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan, Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa paid tribute to 190 soldiers martyred during a four-day battle in the Noshki and Panjgur areas of Balochistan, requested a pay raise for the Frontier Corps (FC) and Rangers personnel, and asked for proper compensation for the martyrs’ families. […]
Claim: Lay’s chips sold in Pakistan contain a food additive derived from pork, making them unsuitable for Muslims. Fact: Lay’s Pakistan’s chips contain the additive E631, which is derived from plants not animal fat. The chips do not contain any pork. Fact or Fiction? On 30 January 2022, Facebook user Shah Baba shared a video […]
Claim: According to Prime Minister Imran Khan, the tax rate is now 0%. Fact: The prime minister did not say the tax rate is now 0%. Rather, while speaking at the launch of an e-commerce portal on 21 February 2022, Khan said that registered IT freelancers will be exempt from all forms of tax. Fact […]
Claim: The Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) draws a salary of PKR 15 million per month. Fact: The current SBP governor, Dr Reza Baqir receives a monthly salary of PKR 2.5 million. Fact or Fiction? On 7 January 2022, a forwarded chain message was shared on WhatsApp stating that the Governor of […]
Claim: The Lahore District Court has issued arrest warrants for activist Leena Ghani and singer Meesha Shafi in a criminal defamation case registered under the cybercrime law by musician Ali Zafar. Zafar has accused Ghani and Shafi of running a ‘malicious campaign’ against him on social media. Fact: On 19 February 2022, the Lahore District […]
Claim: Finance Ministry spokesperson Muzzammil Aslam has said that following the hike in petrol prices in Pakistan, he did not see a decline in the number of vehicles on the roads and people absorbed the [oil] shock because of the country’s high per capita income. Aslam also said that those calling the hike in prices […]
Claim: Posts circulating on Facebook claim that the station house officer (SHO) of the Civil Lines police station Muzaffargarh Mr Iftikhar Malkani arrested a couple on Valentine’s Day and forced them to get married at the police station. The posts are accompanied by an image allegedly depicting Malkani with the arrested couple, and others. Fact: […]
Claim: Three Pakistani universities issued guidelines for Valentine’s Day, directing male students to wear caps and female students to cover their heads, as well as forbidding “gender mixing”. Fact: All three universities in question have confirmed the notifications are fake. On 12 February 2022, copies of notifications allegedly issued by three Pakistani universities — Riphah […]