Claim: In a speech at the Oxford Islamic Center, Prince Charles of Wales said, “The rights that my grandmother did not have until a few decades ago, Islam has given all those rights to women 1400 years ago.” Fact: The quote attributed to Prince Charles is not accurate. During a speech in 1993, Prince Charles […]
Claim: Finance Ministry spokesperson Muzzammil Aslam has said that following the hike in petrol prices in Pakistan, he did not see a decline in the number of vehicles on the roads and people absorbed the [oil] shock because of the country’s high per capita income. Aslam also said that those calling the hike in prices […]
Claim: Three Pakistani universities issued guidelines for Valentine’s Day, directing male students to wear caps and female students to cover their heads, as well as forbidding “gender mixing”. Fact: All three universities in question have confirmed the notifications are fake. On 12 February 2022, copies of notifications allegedly issued by three Pakistani universities — Riphah […]
Claim: The ruling PTI has asked Iftikhar Ahmed Lund, former central vice president of its Sindh chapter, to keep his “iron rod” ready for July 23 by-polls in the province’s Ghotki constituency. Fact: The story, while true, is from 2019 when by-polls were scheduled to take place in Sindh’s Ghotki constituency. On 17 January 2022, […]
Claim: A video shows Indian Hindu men harassing young burqa-clad female students by throwing water on them as they make their way to class. Fact: The video is from a university in Sri Lanka where senior students can be seen ‘ragging’ first-year students. On 10 February 2022, Pakistani columnist Orya Maqbool Jan shared a video […]
Claim: Bill Gates has called for the withdrawal of COVID-19 vaccines after admitting that the pandemic was “a farce”. Fact: Bill Gates did not call for a withdrawal of COVID-19 vaccines nor did he make the other statements attributed to him in the viral WhatsApp chain message. The message is false as it is based […]
Claim: The Government of Punjab has made it mandatory for boys and girls to wear caps and scarves, respectively, in schools across the province. Fact: Schoolchildren will only be required to wear caps and scarves when attending the classes reserved for Quran recitation and teaching. On 17 January 2022, journalist Hasan Zaidi, Dawn’s editor for […]
Claim: A scenic motorway-bridge high in the mountains was built under the leadership of PML-N supremo and former prime minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif. Fact: The motorway-bridge is located in Austria, not Pakistan, and has no connection to Sharif. On 1 January 2022, Facebook user ‘Hayat Yusofzai’ posted an image showing a motorway passing through […]
Claim: Astronaut Mark Kelly smuggled a full gorilla suit on board the International Space Station (ISS). Fact: Mark was not aboard the ISS but on Earth. However, Mark was the one who sent the gorilla suit to his twin, Scott, who was on the space station, as a ‘care package’. The brothers are former astronauts. […]
Claim: A video circulating on social media allegedly depicts an excavator crane crashing into a ditch while carrying out relief work in Murree following a disastrous road blockage that left 22 dead. Fact: The video does show a crane overturning and slipping into a ditch, but it is from 2020 and was not taken in […]
Claim: The animal in the photograph is a Himalayan Yak captured on camera in Khaplu Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan. Fact: The photo shows a bison, not a yak, and was taken by Tom Murphy in Yellowstone National Park in the United States. On 1 January 2022, a tweet was sent to Soch Fact Check for verification. In […]
Claim: A truck driver who was stopped on Karachi’s University Road for allegedly offending the religious sentiments of Muslims said his vehicle is owned by PepsiCo India. Fact: The truck in question does not belong to PepsiCo India, nor did the driver say his truck is owned by PepsiCo India. The word ‘India’ was not […]