Claim: An image attributed to Dunya News suggests that the former finance minister, Miftah Ismail said that the IMF bailout money was given to the media and PDM members instead of providing relief to the public.
Fact: Ismail issued a clarification that he did not give any such statement. The screenshot shared by journalist Imran Riaz on social media is fake.
Fact or Fiction?
On 26 December 2023, journalist Imran Riaz Khan shared a now-deleted image (archive) on X (formerly Twitter) which contains an image of Miftah Ismail along with text in Urdu, implying that these are the words of the former minister. The Urdu image, attributed to Dunya News, quotes the following statement by Miftah Ismail:
آئی ایم ایف سے ملنے والے پیسوں سے عوام کو ریلیف دینے کی بجائے میڈیا اور ہر پی ڈی ایم ممبرز میں تقسیم کیے گئے۔ اس قرض کو اب قوم مہنگائی کی صورت میں ادا کر رہی ہے۔
Translated [The money received from the IMF was distributed among the media and every PDM member instead of giving relief to the people. The nation is now paying this debt in the form of inflation.]
Screenshot of the now-deleted tweet by Imran Riaz Khan
The post suggests the coalition government’s mishandling of the funds received from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Soch Fact Check found the claim to be false. Ismail issued a clarification on 26 December 2023 via X that he did not make any such statement.
Miftah Ismail’s clarification on the fake statement
To further investigate the claim, Soch Fact Check searched Dunya News’ accounts on Facebook and X and couldn’t find any such statements made by Miftah Ismail.
This is not the first time a false statement has been attributed to Miftah Ismail. Soch Fact Check previously debunked statements linked to Ismail including Imran Khan saved Pakistan from global inflation, blaming PDM for 9 May riots and families should share one roti in light of inflation.
Virality
Journalist Sabir Shakir shared the same image on X saying that Ismail may not have said it but the statement is still true in its claim of the mishandling of funds.
On Facebook, the false statement was shared here.
Conclusion: Miftah Ismail did not make a statement on the mishandling of IMF funds or its unfair distribution among the media and PDM members.
Background image in cover photo: AFP
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