Anisa Shabir

Anisa Shabir is a senior fact-checker and open-source reporter at Soch Media. She also volunteers as an open-source researcher with Bellingcat's Global Authentication Project and previously worked as an investigative reporter at the Arizona State University’s Howard Center for Investigative Journalism. She was recognized for best community service project/reporting in the 2023 EPPY Awards and won the A-Mark Prize for Reporting on Misinformation and Disinformation. Her work has been featured in the Associated Press, Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting (AZCIR), Cronkite News, and Dawn. She holds an MA in investigative journalism from Cronkite School on the Fulbright Scholarship Award.

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Claim: A video shows Pakistani checkposts in flames after they were attacked by the Indian Army along the Line of Control (LoC). This occurred amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Fact: The video shows supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party protesting against Imran Khan’s detention in May […]

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Claim: Footage shows Israeli settlers entering the al-Aqsa Mosque and offering prayers, while the police prevented Palestinians from entering the mosque. Fact: The video likely shows Easter celebrations observed at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem. A Facebook user posted a reel (archive) that purportedly shows Israeli settlers entering […]

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Claim: Chief of Army Staff Gen Syed Asim Munir awarded medals to Pakistani soldiers for ranking first among 20 countries. Fact: The video shows the army chief, as a chief guest, awarding medals to soldiers from different countries, not just to Pakistani soldiers. A Facebook user shared a video (archive) that claims to show Asim […]

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Claim: A video showing heavy artillery exchange between India and Pakistan, in the Tatta Pani sector along the Line of Control (LoC), has emerged online. The skirmish was reported amid the rise in diplomatic tensions between the two countries, following the militant attack on tourists in Pahalgam, in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. Fact: The video […]

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Claim: A video depicts an aerial battle between Israeli fighter jets and helicopters and Palestinian fighters shooting them down. Fact: The footage in the claim is, in fact, an old clip from the video game Arma 3. On 15 April, a Facebook user shared a video (archive) claiming that it depicts an aerial combat between […]

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Claim: Some media reports state the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) hijacked the Jaffar Express between the Pehro Kunri Station and Mashkaf Station, in the Kachhi District in Balochistan; other reports claim the incident took place at or near the Mashkaf Railway Tunnel. Fact: Geolocating the footage released by the BLA shows the attack did not […]

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Claim: Dubai will give individuals 50,000 dirhams if they give birth to babies. Fact: The posts making this claim are a scam. A Facebook user shared a reel (archive) of a Geo News’ bulletin where the anchor reports that Dubai’s government has offered to pay individuals who give birth to children. The text in the […]

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Claim: A video shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dancing. Fact: The video is altered and does not show Zelenskyy. On 19 February, an X user posted a video (archive) apparently showing Zelenskyy dancing in a red dress. The caption reads: “Zelenskyy before he became a CIA plant for regime change in Ukraine.” The caption likely […]

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Claim: A video shows Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz placing her hand over the hand of Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir. Fact: The video is AI-generated. A Facebook user posted a video (archive) allegedly showing the Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz, putting her hand over the hand of Chief of Army Staff […]

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Claim: US President Donald Trump called Imran Khan a convict who was involved in fraudulent cases. Trump further said that the Pakistani diaspora in the US urged him to advocate for the release of the jailed former Prime Minister of Pakistan. Fact: Trump did not make any such statement about Imran Khan. The audio in […]

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Claim: A video shows Pakistani forces attacking a post by the Afghan Taliban near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and also shooting down their quadcopter. Fact: The video is not connected to Afghanistan or Pakistan and is likely linked to conflict between Kurdish armed groups and Turkish forces. On 21 February, an X user posted a video […]

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Claim: Video shows the Pakistan Army opening fire at the Afghan Taliban. Fact: The video is at least a decade old and is likely from Yemen. It is entirely unrelated to the recent cross-border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.  On 20 February, an X user posted a video (archive) purportedly showing the Pakistani army attacking […]

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