Claim: In a 2022 X post, Maryam Nawaz Sharif praised then-Rawalpindi commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha by calling him an “asset” of Pakistan and criticised the “propaganda against him” by Imran Khan. Fact: Maryam Nawaz did not make a post on X praising Chattha; the screenshot showing as such is doctored. Moreover, Chattha was appointed as […]
Claim: A statement on the 2024 general elections in Pakistan issued by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union (EU) threatens “sanctions on several army generals, including the Chief of Army Staff and his top 16 officers, along with members of PMLN, MQM, and other relevant parties, including Nawaz Sharif and his associates” […]
Claim: Sher Afzal Marwat supports the call for a boycott of the 2024 general elections in Pakistan. Fact: The video of Sher Afzal Marwat is doctored using artificial intelligence (AI). In the original video that was used as a source of the deepfake, Marwat asked people to vote for the PTI’s National Assembly candidate from […]
Claim: PTI lawyer Advocate Naeem Haider Panjutha called for a boycott of the 2024 general elections in a newly-issued video statement. Fact: The audio of the clip is seemingly altered, with remarks that Panjutha did not make. In the original video, which was posted on 31 December 2023 and is over five minutes long, he […]
Claim: Google Trends predicted who would win the 2024 general election in Pakistan and that data proved that “PTI is on top”. Fact: Google Trends shows a summary of searches by people around the world; it can be narrowed down according to categories, time period, and location, among other filters. The FAQs page of Google […]
Claim: On 6 February 2024, front pages of multiple Pakistani newspapers announced Nawaz Sharif as the next prime minister, claiming he was voted in by the people’s choice. Fact: The front page is an advertisement and not a news piece. Since the 2024 general elections in Pakistan are underway, it cannot be said that Nawaz […]
Claim: The PML-N has announced its decision to boycott the 2024 general elections being held on 8 February in Pakistan. Fact: The PML-N has made no such announcement; the accounts making the claim are fake and not associated with the party. On 8 February 2024, X (formerly Twitter) user @Hasnain8082 posted (archive) a screenshot of […]
Claim: In a recent rally ahead of the 8 February 2024 elections, Asif Ali Zardari said the time has come now to replace Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari with a decent man who can run Pakistan. Fact: The video does not match the audio, which has been altered to include the name of Bilawal when Zardari was actually […]
Claim: Imran Khan was seen sporting a beard on 30 January 2024, the day he was sentenced to 10 years for “leaking state secrets”. Fact: A beard was edited onto Khan’s face in an image that was originally posted by PTI Central Legal Coordinator Mashal Yousafzai on 1 August 2023. On 30 January 2024, X […]
Claim: PML-N’s candidate for National Assembly from Chakwal, Major (r) Tahir Iqbal, said, “The person second to God is known as Mian Nawaz Sharif.” Fact: Major Iqbal’s remarks have been taken out of context and presented in a purposely trimmed video. Upon viewing a longer version of the clip, Iqbal in his speech praises Nawaz […]
Claim: A video shows PPP leader Khursheed Shah being hit with shoes during a campaign trail in his constituency ahead of the 2024 general elections. Fact: Shah was not hit with shoes during a recent campaign trail; the video is actually over five years old and, therefore, not breaking news. On January 2024, X (formerly […]
Claim: Analyst Michael Kugelman said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif is “a top candidate to be the next premier not because he’s wildly popular – he certainly is – but more so because he’s played his cards right”. Fact: The BBC misquoted Kugelman in an article. In his original comment to the […]