Claim: According to a statement circulating on social media, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) praised Justice Babar Sattar for his verdict about telecom companies.
Fact: This claim is false. The TTP has not issued any statement and the image circulating on social media appears to be fake.
On 12 June 2024, a user on X (formerly Twitter) posted an image (archive) with the caption,
مانیٹرنگ: کالعدم تحریک طالبان پاکستان نے جج بابر ستار کے حکم کا خیر مقدم اور انہیں خراج تحسین پیش کیا ہے۔
Translation [Monitoring: Banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has welcomed the order of Judge Babar Sattar and paid tribute to him.]
The image of the statement contains text in Urdu and a part of the statement translated into English reads, “Today on June 11, 2024, a bold and courageous Pakistani judge, Babar Sattar, made a highly important and historic judgment, forbidding mobile companies from disclosing any information to apostates or other authorities. This is a very positive step for which this movement pays tribute to Babar Sattar.”
Fact or Fiction?
To investigate the claim, Soch Fact Check reached out to journalist Ihsanullah Tipu Mehsud at The Khorasan Diary – a non-partisan journalist-run platform. He confirmed to Soch Fact Check on WhatsApp that the image circulating on social media is fake and the TTP has not issued any such statement. He also added that all information is shared through TTP’s official channels and they have denied releasing this statement.
Abdul Sayed, a Sweden-based researcher who works on Jihadism and follows the TTP closely, posted on X and pointed out some features of the statement which suggest that it is fake. When translated into English, his post says, “A statement regarding Judge Babar Sattar made by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan appeared on social media which appears to be fake for a few reasons. Firstly, such statements are usually issued by their spokesman Muhammad Khorasani, but this statement has been attributed to Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud. Secondly, these statements are issued on their official social media channels, where no such statement exists”.
Moreover, Soch Fact Check noticed other inconsistencies which suggest that the statement is fake. The TTP’s official press releases include a serial number and follow a well-defined format which includes a serial number and Umar Media’s website link, as seen below:
Example of a genuine TTP statement posted on 13 August 2022. Photo: The Khorasan Diary
Official statements are issued through official Umar Media channels by their media representative Muhammad Khorasani. This false press release does not include a serial number and it cannot be found on any of their official media channels.
Furthermore, it is important to note that the decision to restrain telecom companies from recording phone calls and data for surveillance purposes was given on 29 May 2024, during a hearing on the alleged leaking of telephone calls involving Najamus Saqib, son of former Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar, and Bushra Bibi, wife of former prime minister Imran Khan. The date of the hearing mentioned in the TTP’s statement, 11 June, is also inaccurate which further points towards its inauthenticity.
Virality
On X, the post sharing the fake statement received 28,300 views, 703 likes and 590 reposts. The archived versions can be seen here, here and here.
On Facebook, it was shared here, here and here.
Conclusion: A statement issued by the TTP praising Justice Babar Sattar for his verdict on restraining telecom companies from recording calls and data for surveillance purposes appears to be fake. TTP has not issued any such statement.
Background image in cover photo: The Nation
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