Claim: A viral video includes two clips from Pakistani TV dramas where the actors are kissing. Fact: The video features content doctored, possibly through artificial intelligence (AI). The actual footage taken from existing dramas does not show any of the actors kissing. On 21 December 2024, Facebook user ‘Parveen Baig’ posted (archive) a video showing […]
Claim: Donald Trump plans to invite Imran Khan along with his family to his inauguration ceremony on 20 January. Fact: This claim is false. Trump has neither extended any invitations to the jailed former Pakistani Prime Minister nor has he made any statements about plans to invite him. PTI’s digital strategist also told Soch Fact […]
Claim: Visuals show the aftermath of an operation by authorities against protesters of the PTI in Islamabad. Four of these images show bloodied roads, while the other two likely resemble scenes of a bombing. Fact: All six images are AI-generated, as identified by multiple tell-tale markers. The visuals in question also do not accurately show […]
Claim: Donald Trump said, “I’ve learnt a lot from Imran Khan, his Islamic style, and his independent policy. He is not only the leader of Pakistanis but he is also my leader.” Fact: Trump has never made any such remarks. On 11 November 2024, Facebook page ‘تحریک انصاف’ posted (archive) a reel with the following […]
Claim: The PTI’s protest in November 2024 was the “largest march in Pakistan’s history”, according to international media outlets, especially Al Jazeera. Fact: The caption is misleading and the accompanying video does not make any such claim. In the clip from Al Jazeera’s “Inside Story,” host Bernard Smith does not claim that the PTI held […]
Claim: Shahbaz Gill defended Richard Grenell and spoke against criticisms of Grenell based on his sexual orientation, saying it is a sign of ignorance to criticise him for his sexuality. Fact: Siasat.pk officially denied ever publishing this image or recording this statement from Gill. Azhar Mashwani, PTI’s chief digital strategist also denied on Gill’s behalf […]
Claim: A video shows Pakistan successfully testing a new missile Zarar III with a range of 7000 km after US sanctions. Fact: The claim is false. The video is from April 2022 and shows the flight test of the surface-to-surface ballistic missile Shaheen-III, which covers a range of 2,750 kilometres, not 7000 kilometres. On 20 […]
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 […]
Claim: Maryam Ikram was involved in the 9 May 2023 riots, after which she was included in PML-N’s central leadership. Fact: Ikram is not part of PML-N’s central leadership. Additionally, the picture cited in the claim was shared on Facebook as early as October 2022, disproving any connection to the 9 May riots. Ikram, a […]
Claim: Pakistani actor and director Hamza Ali Abbasi, revealed that everyone in PTI is homosexual during a television interview. Fact: The actor made no such statement. The viral clip has been edited to misrepresent the context of his remarks. In the unedited version, he addressed the nature of the allegations made against him and Imran […]
Claim: Protestors staged a physical demonstration against Askari Bank and Fauji Foundation. Fact: Although some social media users have initiated boycotts against Askari Bank and Fauji products, no physical demonstrations have occurred anywhere in the country. The video in question is digitally manipulated, as the banners and posters carried by the ‘protesters’ contain noticeable typos. […]
Claim: A violent video of a man being beaten up in a river, with his hands and feet tied together, is from the recent attacks on the Shia community in Parachinar. Fact: The video is old; it emerged online as early as 2021 and is, therefore, unrelated to the recent unrest in Parachinar. Parachinar Attacks […]