Author: Shameneh Majid
Claim: Social media posts claim that the Punjab government has decided to ban cooking and distributing food at funerals.
Fact: The claim is false. It was also refuted by Minister for Information and Culture, Punjab, Azma Bokhari via X.
A post by Facebook user Israr Ahmed Rajpoot claimed that the Punjab government is implementing a complete ban on serving and distributing food at funerals, citing this as a positive step for bereaved families.
The post makes the following claim (Translated from Urdu into English):
“The Punjab government decides to ban cooking, distributing and hosting large gatherings to commemorate deceased individuals, implementing this decision across the province.
The aim of this move is to reduce unnecessary financial burden on grieving families and observe loss with simplicity.
According to sources, instructions regarding this ban will be issued to the district administration soon. Action will be taken against those violating the ban.
Scholars, social leaders and citizens have welcomed the government’s decision, hailing it as a positive change in how we mourn.”
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check could not verify the truthfulness or accuracy of this claim, given that no public statement, notice or announcement has been made by the Punjab government. However, the claim has been debunked on X (formerly Twitter) by Minister of Punjab for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari.
As part of our own investigation into the claim, we could not find any verifiable source, including circulars on the Punjab Portal, the official website of the Punjab government. There were also no reports from mainstream news outlets confirming the development.
All the reports of this decision turned out to be posts on social media platforms which regurgitated the claim without evidence. Alternatively, we found that public figures such as Iffat Omer and Shafaat Ali had responded to the alleged development. No other representative of the government has remarked on any such ban or corroborated news of it either.
Virality
Soch Fact Check found that the claim has been shared on Facebook here, here, here, here, here and here.
On Instagram, it was shared here and here.
Conclusion:
There has been no official announcement or notification by the Punjab government banning food at funerals in the province. Moreover, Minister of Punjab for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari has refuted the claim.
Background image in cover photo: Bloom Pakistan
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