Claim: All Confucius Institutes in Pakistan have been shut down. Confucius Institutes are Chinese language and culture centers set up through partnerships between universities in Pakistan and the Chinese International Education Foundation. Fact: Confucius Institutes in Pakistan remain operational. Fact or Fiction? In a 15 May 2022 tweet, TV personality Orya Maqbool Jan stated the […]
Claim: A video of demonstrators gathering around Information Minister for the new PML-N government Marriyum Aurangzeb is being shared with the claim that it shows people gathered around Aurangzeb at an airport to protest against the recent regime change in Pakistan. Fact: The video is, in fact, from a press conference held by Aurangzeb on […]
Claim: A screenshot of a tweet, seemingly posted by politician Jahangir Tareen went viral right before PTI’s long march. The tweet, addressed to Imran Khan, warns him that political circumstances are different than those in 2104. Fact: Jahangir Tareen never tweeted anything of the sort. The tweet was sent out by an account whose bio […]
Claim: Video shows Rana Sanaullah’s daughter dancing. Fact: The video shows someone else dancing in the video, not Rana Sanaullah’s daughter. Fact or Fiction: On 22 May 2022, a video was shared by Tanveer Toofan on his Facebook page with the caption, “رانا ثناء اللہ کی بچی کی ڈانس کی ویڈیو مل گئی…” [Rana Sanaullah’s […]
Claim: A viral photograph shows two PTI supporters kissing. Fact: The picture is, in fact, from the 2014 FIFA World Cup match between Iran and Nigeria, which took place on 17 June 2014. It shows two fans kissing before the match started. The doctored image indicates that the Emblem of Iran has been removed from […]
Claim: A photo allegedly depicts a pro-PTI demonstration held in Kashmir following the recent ouster of PTI leader Imran Khan from the office of prime minister. Fact: The picture is not from a recent PTI rally in Kashmir but in fact dates back to 5 December 2019, when people in Kashmir, especially in old Srinagar, […]
Claim: An image of a large crowd of people gathered at a venue at night allegedly depicts a recent rally held by former Prime Minister Imran Khan and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers in Sialkot. Fact: The image is not from PTI’s rally but rather from a March 2022 election rally in the Philippines. On 14 […]
Claim: Posts shared online criticise new Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif for having photos of himself and his brother and former PM Nawaz Sharif printed on the side of a London bus as part of an ad campaign. Social media users sharing this claim are comparing it to a similar ad campaign run under the previous […]
Claim: Over 200,000 people attended a protest held in Karachi on 11 April 2022, following former prime minister Imran Khan’s removal from office. Fact: In addition to sourcing comments from on-the-ground witnesses, Soch Fact Check used tools such as Map Checking to investigate the claim. Our most liberal estimate suggests that just over 100,000 people […]
Claim: An image of a man wearing a PTI scarf and holding a weapon at what appears to be a political gathering is being shared on social media with a caption imploring people not to bring weapons to political rallies. The image began to circulate on 25 May 2022, after PTI workers and supporters began […]
Claim: Social media posts claim that on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, which was celebrated in Pakistan from 3-5 May 2022, the government increased the monthly cash disbursement payable to eligible families under the Ehsaas Kafalat program from PKR 14,000 to PKR 36,000. Fact: The claim is false. The government has not issued an announcement relating […]
Claim: A viral video shows Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and other members of the government inside the Masjid Nabawi in Medina, Saudi Arabia, with onlookers chanting the slogans, “Jiye Bhutto [Long live Bhutto]” and “Wazir-e-Azam Zindabad [Long live the prime minister].” Fact: Onlookers did not chant, ‘Jiye Bhutto’ during Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s visit to Medina. The […]