Claim: A viral message warns Pakistani people against conducting any online transactions as ATMs will remain closed for the next two to three days after a ransomware cyberattack in the country. It advises people not to open a video clip called the “Dance of the Hillary,” which is a virus that wipes one’s mobile phone […]
Claim: Arshad Nadeem hugged Maryam Nawaz when she visited the athlete’s residence to congratulate him on his victory in the 2024 Olympics. Fact: A video purportedly showing Nadeem hugging Maryam Nawaz is doctored. A video shared on Facebook shows Olympic javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem hugging PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz. The clip has since been shared across […]
Claim: Fiverr has been banned in Pakistan. Fact: Fiverr has not been banned, nor has it suspended its services in Pakistan. The platform briefly flagged some Pakistani freelancers’ accounts in August 2024, owing to the ongoing Internet slowdown, but a company spokesperson has confirmed that most of them “have now returned to normal”. On 15 […]
Claim: Muslims were responsible for riots in Harehills, Leeds. Additionally, Green Party Councilor Mothin Ali was also involved in escalating tensions during the incident. Fact: The riots in Harehills, Leeds were sparked by an incident where Children’s Social Care attempted to remove a child from the home of a Roma family, which led the police […]
Claim: A Pakistani man was arrested by authorities on a flight to Australia for misbehaving with a flight attendant. Fact: The man in the video is an Australian, not a Pakistani. The video was first published by 9 News Australia and has been widely reported by various Australian media outlets. On 2 January 2024, a […]
Claim: A viral WhatsApp forward claims that castor oil can help rid a person of cataracts Fact: There is no evidence to support that the use of castor oil can cure cataracts, in fact, castor oil use in your eyes can cause adverse reactions. On 7 December 2023, Soch Fact Check was sent a viral WhatsApp […]
Claim: A video posted on social media in October 2023 shows a pro-Palestinian demonstration on UCLA’s campus with people chanting, “We want Jewish genocide.” Fact: The claim is false. The video does not show the demonstrators chanting, “We want Jewish genocide.” Instead, they are saying, “Israel, Israel, you can’t hide. We charge you with genocide.” […]
Claim: A viral WhatsApp message claims that Pakistani currency notes in denominations of 500, 1000, or 5000 rupees bearing serial numbers beginning with AF, CE, or HO are counterfeit. It further suggests that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has released a press statement to alert the public. Fact: The claim is false. A representative […]
Claim: A video shows former Indian captain Virat Kohli and current Pakistani captain Babar Azam enjoying themselves together in Faisalabad during the IND-U19 visit to Pakistan in 2006. Fact: The video only features Kohli, not Azam. Babar Azam was only 12 years old in 2006 and did not play in the U-19 World Cup, while […]
Claim: Pakistan is in the final stages of signing a billion-dollar-plus defence sale to a Middle Eastern country. Fact: The claim is false. Unlike other deals with Myanmar, Nigeria and Argentina in the past, there is no reported and verified news that a deal has been initiated, and no Middle Eastern stakeholders have formally […]
Claim: Bayer Pharmaceuticals has announced they will halt operations in Pakistan, and company assets have been sold to another business. The news was shared by X (formerly Twitter) user (@asadnasir2000) and he cited a Daily Times article titled, “Bayer pharmaceutical company announces closing business in Pakistan,” as a source. Fact: The tweet and the article […]
Claim: A viral Whatsapp forward message claims that the government has passed a bill which will result in government employees receiving pensions according to their basic salary when they were recruited, instead of their last salary slip. Fact: No bill has been passed or proposed by the government that would result in a significant decrease […]