Claim: A notification signed by the District Magistrate Islamabad announced a lockdown in Islamabad. According to this notification, except for essential services such as healthcare and medical supplies, all institutions are to remain closed and the province cordoned off.
Fact: This notification is fake.
On 3 November 2022, several social media users shared a notification on Twitter and Facebook which stated that Islamabad is to be sealed and Punjab cordoned off while observing a lockdown, given the escalating political tension in the aftermath of the firing on Imran Khan.
According to this notification, the District Magistrate Islamabad (DC Islamabad) signed this directive.
Fact or Fiction?
At 8:17 pm on 3rd November 2022, Irfan Nawaz Memon, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad, tweeted a clarification from his official Twitter account, where he regularly posts administrative updates.
We also spoke to the SSP Islamabad’s office, where Muhammad Yousuf confirmed that, besides the Red Zone, Islamabad is completely open and the notification regarding the capital being sealed is false.
Virality
Soch Fact Check conducted a CrowdTangle analysis for the 2-day period since 3 November 2022 to 4 November 2022 using the following search terms:
- “Islamabad” “sealed”
- “Islamabad” “lockdown”
- “اسلام آباد” “کرفیو”
On Facebook, we found that some Indian news channels and journalists, and local KPK-cased networks had also shared the same fake notification. Some examples can be seen here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
On Instagram, we found the claim only shared by Indian accounts here, here, and here.
On Twitter, we found that this notification was widely shared. Some examples are here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Conclusion: Islamabad is not sealed or under lockdown.