Claim: A photo of a news headline saying Bushra Bibi will engage in an 11-day religious ritual to remedy the PTI’s political situation and that PTI sources believe that a solar eclipse may affect Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s political position.
Fact: The photo of the news headline was doctored before it was shared by PML-N leader Hina Pervez Butt. Lahore HD News did not report any such statements.
On 27 April 2023, Hina Parvez Butt, a leader of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and former member of the Punjab Assembly, posted three photos on her Facebook and Twitter pages claiming former first lady Bushra Bibi is going to engage in a religious ritual to remedy the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s political situation, and that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) sources believe a solar eclipse may affect politics.
The photos purportedly showed news headlines aired on Lahore HD News, a Pakistani TV channel. The headline in the first photo claimed PTI sources say astrological positions have influenced what happened to the party recently. The second photo showed another headline on the same channel saying a solar eclipse may prove to be very bad for PTI and Zaman Park . The third photo claims to remedy the party’s political and astrological difficulties, Bushra Bibi will engage in an 11-day religious ritual.
Butt’s post on Facebook received more than 800 reactions and 150 comments, mostly mocking or criticizing PTI and its leadership.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check reviewed the Lahore HD News website and despite using the keywords from the purported bulletin, we did not find any such news update published by them. We also checked through their YouTube channel and found that Youtube videos of Lahore HD News’ 10:30 PM news bulletins from 25 through 28 April 2023 show no mention of any such statements about Bushra Bibi or PTI.
We also contacted PTI’s media cell and asked them if they had any such belief or information. They denied any such claim and said the claim was baseless.
Soch Fact Check also contacted Lahore News’ producer, who confirmed that they did not air any such headline and that any such photo must be doctored. They also said that they had filed a complaint with Facebook against Hina Parvez Butt for spreading fake news using their name.
Therefore, we concluded that Lahore News did not report anything about Bushra Bibi performing an 11-day ritual or PTI sources believing that a solar eclipse may affect the party’s position. The photo of the TV news headline that Hina Parvez Butt shared on her Facebook page was doctored.
Virality
On Facebook this claim was shared here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Conclusion: Lahore News did not air a bulletin about Bushra Bibi’s 11-day religious ritual.