Claim: A data table shows that 28,723 people changed the gender they were assigned at birth through the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) from July 2018 to June 2021. Fact: The NADRA has categorically termed the portrayal of the data as “misinterpretation”, saying that it is “not related to gender reassignment”. A spokesperson, Faik […]
Claim: ‘Behind Closed Doors’, a documentary made by filmmakers Michael Oswald and Murtaza Mehdi about Pakistan’s Sharif family, is set to be released on streaming services Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Fact: The director of ‘Behind Closed Doors’, Michael Oswald, confirmed to Soch Fact Check that no deal has been signed with either Netflix or […]
Claim: Pakistan People’s Party has decided to suspend the membership of politician Aitzaz Ahsan over controversial remarks. Fact: Although there are demands within the party to suspend Aitzaz Ahsan, the Central Executive Committee of the party has made no such decision. On 14 October 2022, mainstream news websites and social media posts reported that Pakistan […]
Claim: A child in the Pashtoon Abad neighbourhood of Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s Balochistan province, died due to the oral polio vaccine (OPV) administered to her in September 2022. Fact: The doctor who treated the child confirmed that she died due to severe pneumonia, a condition in which food or liquid enters the airways […]
Claim: A video shows gunmen opening fire at a crowd in the Pul-e-Khumri area of Afghanistan, reportedly killing 51 people over a dispute about a donkey. Fact: The video is from an 8 September 2022 incident, when two groups in Karachi, Pakistan clashed over a money dispute. Fact or Fiction? On 15 September 2022, Daily […]
Claim: A social media video shows a gunman attacking a family on the roadside in Karachi, Pakistan. Fact: The video is not from Pakistan but from a shooting in Ecuador in May 2022. On 10 September 2022, a Twitter user shared a video with an Urdu caption that, when translated to English, reads, “Blind shooting […]
Claim: Mohenjo-Daro will likely be removed from the list of World Heritage sites. Fact: Mohenjo-Daro was never under consideration for removal, and UNESCO has directed $350,000 to the recovery and restoration of heritage sites in Pakistan in the aftermath of the flood. On 4 September 2022, a Facebook post claimed that Mohenjo-Daro will likely be […]
Claim: An Express News bulletin quoting a purported FBR notification claimed the federal government exempted all taxes on the import of bulletproof vehicles for high-ranking military generals. Fact: According to the FBR, no such notification has been formally issued yet, although the tax exemption is indeed under the Prime Minister’s consideration. Since the policy hasn’t […]
Claim: BISP accounts designated for receiving flood relief donations have been hacked. Fact: BISP officially clarified that none of their accounts were hacked. No reports claiming recipients have suffered such fraud have surfaced. On 19 September 2022, former deputy speaker of the National Assembly and member of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) Qasim Khan Suri […]
Claim: A picture of a woman and a minor boy is shared with a caption that implies they are affected by the recent devastating floods in Pakistan. Fact: The woman and child are Rohingya refugees, who were photographed by Mohammad Ponir Hossain on 1 October 2017. On 31 August 2022, a Twitter user posted an […]
Claim: A viral image appearing to be a news update claimed PTI leader Shahbaz Gill said, “I do not wish to maintain political ties with Imran Khan” Fact: Shahbaz Gill did not make such an announcement. He remains a senior PTI leader and close ally of Imran Khan. The image is doctored. On 17 September […]
Claim: A screenshot of Afghan cricket player Farid Malik apologising after for a recent on-field feud with Pakistan’s Asif Ali was widely shared on social media Fact: The Twitter account purportedly representing Farid Malik is fake, and neither player has issued an apology for the verbal spat, which turned violent. Pakistan’s cricket team faced off […]