Claim: A photo of a grave shows the final resting place of Liaquat Ali Khan, one of Pakistan’s founding fathers and the country’s first prime minister. Fact: The grave is in fact of Liaquat Ali Khan’s mother, Mahmuda Begum. On 28 September 2021, a Facebook user shared a photo of an old, crumbling grave, with […]
Claim: A video purportedly taken from the Burj Khalifa depicts Cyclone Shaheen thundering off the coast of Dubai. Fact: The video is in fact a rendering created by digital artist Brent Shavnore in 2019 using a still image captured in Miami, Florida in the United States. On 16 October 2021, a 24-second clip surfaced on […]
Claim: The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has changed its policy requiring women to adopt their husband’s names as surnames after marriage. Fact: Women were previously not required to change their surnames but it was a practice encouraged unofficially. Rather, under the previous policy, women had to include their husband’s name in a mandatory […]
Claim: People in Pakistan can get free petrol for their cars after the discovery of a grand, new petrol reserve in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Fact: The reserve was in fact discovered in July 2021 and the specifics of the discovery differ slightly from what is claimed in the news piece. On 30 September 2021, […]
Claim: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry described Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, the late Pakistani nuclear scientist, as “fake,” a “joker,” and one of the “fake heroes” of Pakistan in 2012. Fact: Chaudhry did in fact tweet that Dr Qadeer was “fake,” a “joker,” and one of the “fake heroes” of Pakistan in 2012; however, the minister […]
Claim: A video allegedly depicting Swedish artist Lars Vilks screaming from within a car at the site of a fiery crash has surfaced on social media, three days after Vilks died in a car accident in Sweden. Vilks was known for the controversy surrounding his drawings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Fact: The video is in […]
Claims: 1. The Kalash Valley is an area in Pakistan where women openly commit adultery in public 2. The Kalasha are fire-worshippers and their primary religion is the worship of fire and statues; they dance and sacrifice animals during religious festivities; their religion does not include notions of prophets or holy books 3. NGOs are […]
Claim: PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz Sharif described Prime Minister Imran Khan as her “hero” in a 2008 Twitter post Fact: The tweet in the screenshot being circulated is from 27 September 2008 but Maryam Nawaz Sharif did not join Twitter until January 2012. Therefore, the image must be doctored. On 5 October 2021, an Instagram account […]
Claim: Pakistan Army’s former spokesperson, Major General Asif Ghafoor, is seen in a helicopter with Afghan Taliban’s Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, fueling the conspiracy that Islamabad is collaborating with the militant group. Fact: The photo that purportedly shows Major General Ghafoor and Akhundzada posing together for a selfie in a helicopter was doctored; the original […]
Claim: Pakistani soldiers were martyred during the Panjshir conflict in Afghanistan. Fact: The proof posted on social media by former Indian Army officers was, in fact, a picture of Pakistani actors in a military movie. On 10 September, various former officers of the Indian Army posted updates from Afghanistan on their social media, sharing a […]
Claim: Punjab has banned TikTokers and YouTubers from entering parks. Fact: An official of the Parks & Horticulture Authority (PHA) Lahore has submitted a list of recommendations to the body’s director-general suggesting that TikTokers and YouTubers be banned from entering parks. However, no such ban has been imposed yet as several approvals are required — […]
Claim: A Pakistani tabloid claims that author Fatima Bhutto demanded that Zahir Jaffer be given privileges in jail. Fact: Bhutto, in fact, criticised the Pakistani penal system for giving Zahir Jaffer privileges in jail. On 6 August, a tabloid news outlet called The Snazzy Report shared a post on Instagram that claimed author and columnist […]