Claim: Pakistani retail chain Imtiaz has said it would continue selling products from Israel, indicating its refusal to boycott products from or linked to the Middle Eastern nation.
Fact: Imtiaz has denied making such an announcement, saying the viral claim is “false/fabricated”. It has also expressed “its strong support for the people of Gaza & Palestine”.
On 21 April 2025, Soch Fact Check received a WhatsApp message containing an announcement allegedly from Imtiaz, a renowned Pakistani retail chain, stating that it would “continue selling products from various international brands, including those from Israel” as it wishes to provide its “customers with the best products and services while maintaining our competitive edge in the market”.
According to the alleged announcement, Imtiaz also emphasised that it wishes to avoid “potential financial implications” arising from removing from its shelves the products manufactured by Israeli companies or those with connections to the Middle Eastern nation.
The accompanying caption in the WhatsApp message is as follows:
“امتیاز سپر مارکیٹ نے اسرائیلی مصنوعات کا بائیکاٹ کرنے سے منع کردیا ، یہ ہے ان لوگوں کی اصلیت، تمام غیور مسلمانوں سے گزارش ہے کہ امتیاز کا بائیکاٹ کریں اور دکھادیں اپنی طاقت!!
[Imtiaz Supermarket has refused to boycott Israeli products. This is the reality of these people. We request all self-respecting Muslims to boycott Imtiaz and show their strength!!]”
BDS movement
Boycotts of Israeli products — sometimes targeted — are initiated by the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, which responds to Israel’s actions against Palestine. It is “inspired by the South African anti-apartheid movement” and “urges action to pressure Israel to comply with international law”, according to its website.
The BDS movement has three major demands that it aims to meet by urging “nonviolent pressure on Israel until it complies with international law”; these include “ending its occupation and colonisation of all Arab lands and dismantling the Wall,” “recognising the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality,” and respecting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes in accordance with the UN Resolution 194.
The boycotts have intensified following Israel’s war in Gaza that started after Hamas attacked the country’s border on 7 October 2023. Since then, over 50,800 Palestinians have been killed and more than 115,600 injured, as per an 8 April 2025 update by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
At least 1,200 Israelis have been killed and upwards of 5,400 injured. Approximately 59 Israeli hostages remain in captivity, according to the OCHA.
Boycotts, deadly protests in Pakistan
Over the past few weeks, the boycott of Israeli products in Pakistan has intensified, with various political parties and religious groups — primarily the Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JIP) — staging major protests in multiple cities across the country.
Recently, the JIP also announced a countrywide strike to be held on 26 April to register a protest against Israeli military operations in Gaza and express solidarity with Palestine, as well as to urge people to bolster a boycott of products linked to the Middle Eastern nation’s interests.
On the other hand, Pakistan has also witnessed major protests against Western brands that are perceived to be sympathetic to or are linked to Israel. In many cities, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) outlets — and at least one of Domino’s Pizza — have been attacked, vandalised, and sometimes set on fire, with authorities arresting over 170 people. In one instance, an employee was killed at the fast food chain’s Sheikhupura branch.
While KFC is not on the official BDS list, Domino’s Pizza is.
The BBC quoted State Minister for Interior Tallal Chaudhry as saying there have been at least 20 attempted attacks on KFC outlets. He has promised action by the government and welcomed that “all political parties, especially religio-political parties, distanced themselves from this incident”, The Express Tribune added.
On the other hand, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari has said the attacks are part of an “organised plan” and questioned how the “oppressed people of Gaza” would benefit from them.
The attacks have widely been blamed on the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), but the Islamist party has denied involvement, with a spokesperson saying it had “not given any call for protest outside KFC”. However, over 20 of its workers were arrested in connection with ransacking and vandalism.
Separately, one of Pakistan’s top clerics, Mufti Taqi Usmani, has urged everyone to avoid violence but continue boycotting Israeli products. On 11 April, some 15,000 people joined a major rally organised by the JIP in support of Palestine.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check first observed two markers that indicated that the viral announcement in question may be fake. The first is that in the logo on the top, the dot in the ‘i’ of Imtiaz is white in colour and smudged with a similar yellow dot, which is part of a curvy design element above and slightly towards the right; in the actual one, however, there is only one yellow dot, not two, right above the ‘i’ of Imtiaz.
The second error is that the ‘th’ next to the date in the top-right corner is in lower case, as opposed to Imtiaz’s authentic statements that have the ‘th’ written in superscript.
Some original statements by Imtiaz can be viewed here, here, and here. A comparison of the logos and the dates can be viewed below:
We then reviewed the official social media accounts of Imtiaz, where we found a statement posted on 21 April 2025 — in English and Urdu — denouncing the “false/fabricated announcement”. It can be viewed on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
The post’s caption stated, “Fake notices using the Imtiaz logo have been circulated and do not represent our official communication. For accurate updates, please rely only on our verified social media pages.” Some parts of the rebuttal, dated 20 April 2025, have been reproduced below:
- “Imtiaz strongly condemns the false/fabricated ‘announcement’ and continues to express its strong support for the people of Gaza & Palestine.”
- “M/s Imtiaz wishes to express its deepest of concerns on the FALSE/FABRICATED announcement that has been making the rounds on different social media accounts, claiming that M/s Imtiaz has opted not to ban or remove Israel products from its stores for various reasons.”
- “Imtiaz has and will always continue to support the people of Gaza & Palestine and will continue to demonize & completely demean the Israeli aggression and fully support the freedom of people of Gaza & Palestine till it is attained.”
The retail chain also condemned people who were “engaged in getting their ulterior motives achieved by polluting the mindset of the loyal customers/clientele of Imtiaz”. It urged people to check its social media accounts for “official announcements and communications”.
Soch Fact Check, therefore, concludes that the viral announcement being attributed to Imtiaz is false.
Virality
Soch Fact Check was able to trace some of the most viral Facebook posts here, here, here, and here. We also observed that two users posted the false claim in multiple groups, as seen here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
The claim was shared here, here, here, here, and here on Instagram, here on Twitter, and here on YouTube.
Conclusion: Imtiaz has issued a strong condemnation of the “false/fabricated ‘announcement’” and expressed “its strong support for the people of Gaza & Palestine”.
Background image in cover photo: imtiazstores
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