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: The image shows a Delta passenger jet lying upside down after it made a rough landing and crashed at Toronto Pearson Airport in Canada on 17 February. Fact: While it is true that a Delta airplane turned upside down and crashed at Toronto Pearson Airport in Canada, the image in the claim is AI-generated. […]

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Claim: A video shows a recent fire that broke out on a train going from Karachi to Lahore, in which five people were killed. Fact: No such incident has been reported this year. The video in the claim is from October 2019, when a passenger train, Tezgam, travelling from Karachi to Rawalpindi, caught fire after […]

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Claim: Geo News reported that England needed 50,000 urgent workers and 10 companies are offering free visas. Fact: The post is a scam. A Facebook user posted a reel (archive), purportedly showing Geo News announcing that the UK will provide free visas to workers. The text “England 50,000 urgent workers needed. Breaking News” is superimposed […]

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Claim: The Balochistan Liberation Army exploits women and forces them to carry out terrorist activities, according to the Wilson Center’s report. Fact: The Wilson Center has not published such a report. The accompanying image of “The Women of Balochistan’s Shadow War” actually shows an article published by an independent news platform More to Her Story, […]

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Claim: Video shows Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members Zartaj Gul and Ali Muhammad Khan embracing each other at a rally. Fact: The video is AI-generated. A Facebook user posted a reel (archive) apparently showing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf members Zartaj Gul and Ali Muhammad Khan embracing each other at a rally, with embedded text in the video which […]

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Claim: A video shows lightning was behind the recent deadly wildfires in Los Angeles, California. Fact: The video is not related to the recent wildfires and is likely AI-generated. On 10 January, a TikTok user posted a video (archive) purportedly showing lightning falling to the ground and starting the fires in Los Angeles, California. The […]

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Claim: Video shows a Pakistani soldier trudging through snow on a high altitude mountain. Fact: The video has signs of manipulation and is a misleading caricature of Pakistani soldiers stationed at high altitude mountains. A Facebook user posted a video (archive) apparently showing a Pakistani soldier trudging through snow on a high altitude mountain. The […]

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Claim: Video shows Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Asim Munir hugging and kissing each other. Fact: The video is AI-generated. On 22 January, an X user posted a video (archive) purportedly showing Maryam Nawaz and Asim Munir embracing and kissing each other. The caption, which appears to be […]

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Claim: Images depict Imran Khan and Richard Grenell in intimate moments, including some showing them getting married. Fact: These images are either digitally altered or AI-generated. On 17 December, social users shared photos targeting former prime minister Imran Khan and foreign policy adviser Richard Grenell, who had been appointed by US President-elect Donald Trump as […]

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Claim: Migratory birds returned to the “highlands of Afghanistan” after the withdrawal of US-led international troops in 2021. A video showing numerous birds near the mountains serves as evidence. Fact: This claim is misleading. Migratory birds have been returning to Afghanistan long before the 2021 Taliban takeover. Additionally, the video in question is AI-generated. On […]

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Claim: The first image of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Russia has emerged, who fled after rebels took over Damascus. Fact: While the Kremlin has confirmed Assad’s arrival in Russia, the image is unrelated. The image shows Assad and his wife visiting Aleppo in February 2023, after a deadly earthquake hit Turkey and its […]

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Claim: An image shows an army soldier pointing a gun towards protesters during a demonstration held by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in November 2024. Fact: The image appears to be AI-generated. On 30 November, a Threads user posted a photo (archive) apparently showing a Pakistani soldier pointing a gun towards the protesters. The description reads: “Our […]

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