Claim: According to a viral WhatsApp message, a file titled “Mexico did it”, with an image showing “how Covid-19 is cured in Mexico” will install a virus on users’ phones in five seconds. Fact: We found the warning to be bogus; no such file exists. On 8 November 2022, Soch Fact Check received a WhatsApp […]
Claim: A new scam blocks and hacks an individual’s phone after a call from the number ‘912250041117’ asks the user to press 1 if they are vaccinated. Fact: The claim appears to be false. In Pakistan, no such number — whether landline or mobile phone — is operational. Numerous international fact-checking organisations have also debunked […]
Claim: Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah has ordered the suspension of salaries for unvaccinated employees of the provincial government. Fact: Chief Minister Sindh’s official Twitter account confirms that this is true. On 3 June 2021, journalist Hasan Zaidi tweeted that Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah has ordered a suspension of salaries for Sindh […]
Claim: The Sindh Government has lifted the curfew on outdoor dining in the province. Fact: In a notification issued on 28 January 2021, the Home Department issued a notification lifting the 10:00 pm curfew on outdoor dining. On 28 January, the media reported that the Sindh Government had lifted the 10:00 pm curfew on outdoor […]
Claim: Pakistan did not record the highest Covid-19 cases compared to the last 5 weeks. Fact: Pakistan did indeed report the highest Covid cases on 17 September compared to the last 5 weeks. On September 18, Omar R Quraishi, a prominent Pakistani journalist with a verified Twitter account, tweeted that Pakistan reported the highest number […]
Claim: Half of the UK’s imported Covid-19 cases are from Pakistan. Fact: The majority of imported Covid-19 cases in the UK are from European countries. Soch Fact Check received a screenshot of an article published on The Telegraph for verification on Whatsapp. The article’s headline stated that half of the United Kingdom’s imported Covid 19 […]
Claim: The “GOP Health Department” issued a notice announcing an immediate ban on poultry due to the presence of Covid-19. Fact: Various official sources clarified that no such notification has been issued. Covid-19 cannot spread to poultry. The following image of an alleged government notification dated 4 June 2020 was received by Soch Fact Check […]
On June 1, Prime Minister Imran Khan addressed the nation after a meeting with the National Coordination Committee (NCC) regarding Covid-19. This address was delivered at a time when Pakistan is seeing the biggest spike in Covid related deaths since the beginning of the outbreak. In his speech, Imran Khan said that the novel coronavirus […]
Claim: Liquor shops have been directed to reopen by the excise and taxation department Islamabad under lockdown. Fact: Deputy Commissioner Islamabad M Hamza Shafqaat clarified on Twitter the notification is fake. Liquor shops have been shut since lockdown began in Islamabad. On 20 May 2020, the following image of an alleged government notification dated 19 […]