Claim: Two photographs show the jail cell in which Imran Khan is being detained. Fact: The images are, in fact, of cells in the closed-down Ohio State Reformatory and Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary; they were taken in 2021 and 2016. On 11 August 2023, X (formerly Twitter) user @p4pakipower1 posted a picture (archive) apparently of a […]
Claim: Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar took a selfie inside the UNGA hall on his state trip to New York. Fact: The selfie, while authentic, was taken in 2019 when Kakar was a senator. It’s unrelated to his tenure as caretaker prime minister. On 20 September 2023, Facebook user ‘Sadiq Kakar’ posted a picture (archive) showing Pakistan’s interim […]
Claim: A viral image shows Sahar Ata Bandial, the daughter of Pakistan’s former top judge, Umar Ata Bandial. Fact: The image does not show Sahar Bandial but Shiffa Z. Yousafzai. On 13 September 2023, the X (formerly Twitter) user @Drsamina19 posted a picture (archive) claiming it shows Sahar Ata Bandial, the daughter of former Chief […]
Claim: A photograph shows Imran Khan sitting at the feet of his mother, Shaukat Khanum. Fact: The photograph is doctored; in reality, it only shows Shaukat Khanum. On 8 September 2023, the Facebook user ‘Irfan Gul Arzi’ posted a picture (archive) claiming to show Imran Khan — the former prime minister and chief of the […]
Claim: Imran Khan enclosures at Multan and Lahore cricket stadiums have been removed. Fact: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that the enclosure was live for Multan games and there are still tickets left for the Lahore leg of the tournament. Fact or Fiction? On 15 August 2023, X (formerly Twitter) user M.Rehan Rabbani (@RehanRabbani333) […]
Claim: A picture shows Imran Khan sporting a beard ahead of a court appearance. Fact: The image is digitally manipulated; Khan originally appeared clean-shaved in the picture in question. On 22 August 2023, the Instagram account @iloveimrankhan._ posted (archive) an image showing Imran Khan — the former prime minister and chief of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf […]
Claim: A picture shows the dead body of Pakistani teenager Arsalan Naseer’s father, who, according to reports, died due to police brutality in August 2023. Fact: The picture is neither related to Arsalan Naseer nor from Pakistan. On 14 August 2023, X (formerly Twitter) user @AamnaFasihi tweeted (archive) a picture of a dead body being […]
Claim: Photos show PML-N supporters taking Humayun Dilawar, a trial court judge, shopping in London. Fact: ADSJ Humayun Dilawar is not seen in any of the pictures. Moreover, the PML-N supporters were in London, while the judge was in Hull. On 8 August 2023, Facebook user ‘Deeba Ajaz Butt’ posted (archive) a combination of five […]
Claim: A video shows a crowd of people participating in a protest against the Pakistan Army chief. Fact: The protest had nothing to do with the Pakistan Army chief but was, in fact, against a prominent Shiite cleric being booked in a police case. On 29 August 2023, singer and activist Salman Ahmad posted a […]
Claim: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar was arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on 20 August 2023 from Islamabad. Fact: Umar has refuted reports of his arrest by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The politician’s son also confirmed to Soch Fact Check that the former minister was in Karachi at the time. Umar […]
Claim: A photo shows former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan offering prayers inside Attock jail. Fact: The photo is doctored. It actually shows PTI’s senior leader Ali Mohammad Khan in Mardan jail. Imran Khan was sentenced to three years in prison on 5 August 2023 after an Islamabad trial court indicted […]
Claim: Salman Ahmad, a close aide of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan, posted a photo of a secret document claiming another cypher was leaked. Fact: The cypher was posted by a parody account of the Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), or DG ISPR, in July 2023. Its informal language, spelling errors and lack […]