Claim: According to a survey conducted by Gallup Pakistan, 90% of Pakistanis believe that respecting the army is an important part of being a true Pakistani.
Fact: The survey in question had less than 1,800 respondents. Furthermore, it was conducted in 2021.
A Twitter account named DG ISPR Urdu tweeted a graphic stating that 90% Pakistanis believe that it is important to respect the army. Soch Fact Check found this to be misleading. The survey included less than 1,800 respondents. Furthermore, it was conducted towards the end of 2021, over a year ago.
Fact vs Fiction
Last month digital media organisation Pakistan Tribune posted on their Facebook page about a survey conducted by Gallup Pakistan. The post’s caption began with the clarification that the news is “from archives”. An accompanying graphic showed officials from Pakistan’s various defence forces standing in salute. Text on the graphic read, “90% Pakistanis believe it is important to respect army in order to be a true Pakistani: Gallup”.
Twitter account DG ISPR Urdu later tweeted this graphic with the caption, “Apart from conspiring social media users and political groups, all Pakistanis have undying love for their forces. Long live Pak Army, long live Pakistan!”
Soch Fact Check found this to be misleading. Gallup Pakistan’s survey asked individuals if they agreed with the statement that respecting the army is an important aspect of being a true Pakistani. Ninety percent did answer in the affirmative.
However, the survey’s sample size was only 1,730 individuals. In the survey report, there is no mention of what social parameters – such as gender, religion, and ethnicity – were considered when selecting the sample group. Furthermore, the report also does not give details about whether any calculations were used to ensure that the survey sample was representative of Pakistan’s population.
Furthermore, Gallup conducted the survey during September and October 2021. DG ISPR Urdu’s tweet does not mention this. It’s important to note that there may have been a shift in the public’s perception of the army since Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan’s ouster from the prime minister’s office in April 2022.
There is no evidence that the twitter account in question is run by the office of the Director General (DG) Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR). The DG ISPR has a separate official account that is also linked on the ISPR’s website. DG ISPR Urdu is not mentioned on any of the ISPR’s official platforms.
Virality
Pakistan’s Tribune Facebook post was liked by 3,100 users and shared over 70 times. Soch Fact Check was able to identify 11 other Facebook posts made in the past month that were also carrying the claim. Two of these did not mention that the survey was conducted over a year ago.
DG ISPR Urdu’s tweet was viewed over 462,000 times, liked by 11,000 accounts, and retweeted 2,428 times. Soch Fact Check also conducted organic searches over Twitter with relevant keywords. We identified three tweets about the survey that don’t mention when it was conducted. Altogether, these tweets have a total of 3,737 views, have been liked by 100 accounts, and retweeted 30 times.
Conclusion: A Twitter account that allegedly represents the Director General Inter Services Public Relations claimed that, according to a Gallup Pakistan survey, 90% Pakistanis believe that it is important to respect the army. Soch Fact Check found this to be misleading. The survey in question included a sample size of less than 1,800 individuals. Gallup Pakistan’s survey report does not mention what measures were taken to ensure that it was representative of Pakistan’s population. Soch Fact Check could also not find any evidence that the Twitter account in question is run by the DG ISPR’s office.