Claim: A video being shared on WhatsApp allegedly depicts the Mongolian Minister of Public Works setting himself on fire after he failed to deliver on a promise of building 100,000 low-cost homes. Fact: The video does not depict the Mongolian public works minister setting himself on fire. It is, in fact, of Mongolian trade union […]
Claim: An 8-year Ukrainian girl confronts a Russian soldier telling him to go back to his country. Fact: The girl in the videos and photos is not Ukrainian, she is Palestinian citizen Ahed Tamimi who confronted an Israeli soldier in 2012 after her brother was arrested. Fact or Fiction On 27 February 2022, in light […]
Claim: News websites claim Anas Haqqani is Norway’s most wanted terrorist Fact: Anas Haqqani is not Norway’s most wanted terrorist. On 25 January 2022, a delegation of the Afghan Taliban visited Oslo, following which several news websites ran stories with the headline, “Norway shocked as its most wanted terrorist Anas Haqqani lands in Oslo.”This headline […]
Claim: A video circulating on social media allegedly depicts Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, the Imam of Masjid Al-Haram, praying for former US President Donald Trump. Fact: The video does not in fact show the Imam praying for Trump. This post on Facebook titled “Imam e Kaaba in a prayer for Trump ” has gone viral […]
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: The ruling PTI has asked Iftikhar Ahmed Lund, former central vice president of its Sindh chapter, to keep his “iron rod” ready for July 23 by-polls in the province’s Ghotki constituency. Fact: The story, while true, is from 2019 when by-polls were scheduled to take place in Sindh’s Ghotki constituency. On 17 January 2022, […]
Claim: An Urdu news website published an article with a headline that translated into English reads as, “Public doesn’t need to pay electricity bills now. The government has announced a massive plan.” The article states that this year the Punjab government will put PKR 2.63 billion towards the launch of 21 new solar projects which […]
Claim: Social media posts claimed that hotels in Murree started overcharging tourists during and in the aftermath of a snowstorm that enveloped the region in January. According to claims, rooms that typically cost PKR 3000 per night were being rented out for between PKR 40,000 and PKR 70,000 per night. Additionally, people were being asked […]
Claim: An Urdu news website published an article with a headline that translated into English reads as, “The marriage registration process has been ended across the country. A new process will be introduced.” The article stated that the changes, which consist of digitising the marriage registration process, will help root out fake marriages and fraud […]
Claim: Pakistan has cancelled a deal with Turkey to acquire 30 T129 ATAK helicopters. Fact: Pakistan has not cancelled the helicopter deal with Turkey. Fact or Fiction? On 5 January 2022, Facebook page The Bangladesh Defence Analyst made the following claim in a post: “DG ISPR has confirmed that Pakistan Army Aviation is going to […]
Claim: Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah said, “We are all Pakistanis and none of us is Sindhi, Balochi, Pathan or Punjabi. We should be proud to be Pakistani only and only.” Fact: The quote is being wrongly attributed to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in posts shared online. Jinnah did not say, “We are all Pakistanis and […]
Claim: An Urdu news website published an article with the headline, “How many lives have been lost due to the presence of residential addresses on identity cards. Is the ID card going to change?” Fact: The news headline is misleading as it suggests some change to the National Identity Card (NIC) is impending, when this […]