Claim: The animal in the photograph is a Himalayan Yak captured on camera in Khaplu Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan. Fact: The photo shows a bison, not a yak, and was taken by Tom Murphy in Yellowstone National Park in the United States. On 1 January 2022, a tweet was sent to Soch Fact Check for verification. In […]
Claim: The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) collaborated with Government College University (GCU) Lahore to organise the Harry Potter Festival in December 2021. Fact: The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) had no involvement in the Harry Potter Festival hosted by Government College University (GCU) Lahore, according to an official of the WCLA. On […]
Claim: Belarus has announced visa-free entry for Pakistanis. Fact: Belarus has introduced a new visa system for Pakistanis. To qualify, Pakistanis traveling to Belarus must have a valid multiple-entry visa of one of the European Union or the Schengen Area countries, as well as return tickets through airports in any of six specific cities, at […]
Claim: Pakistan’s ranking in the Global Food Security Index (GFSI) has improved by three places during the first three years of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government. Fact: Pakistan’s ranking in the GFSI has only improved by one place. While the country’s scores for ‘Availability’ and ‘Quality and Safety’ improved between 2016 and 2021, those for […]
Claim: According to a viral message circulating on WhatsApp, a natural gas shutdown will be implemented across the country, including Karachi, from 1 December 2021. The text, which is being attributed to Pakistan’s Energy Minister Hammad Azhar, provided three discrete daily time slots during which the shutdown would be lifted and gas supplied. Fact: No […]
Claim: A picture has surfaced online claiming to depict Jonathan, a tortoise born in 1832, five years prior to the coronation of Queen Victoria. Posts sharing the picture state that Jonathan is due to turn 190 years old in 2022, making him the oldest-known land animal alive today. Fact: The picture in fact shows ‘A11’, […]
Claim: A recent report claimed that the Central Directorate of National Savings (“National Savings”), the state-owned savings bank of Pakistan, has bumped up profit rates on various government schemes. Fact: The increase in National Savings’ profit rates mentioned in the report in fact came about in July 2020 and is not a recent development. However, […]