Topic

Journalist

True False

Claim: Artist and writer Anwar Maqsood was abducted and subjected to torture. He has also been banned from appearing on TV channels and from attending military programs.  Fact: Maqsood has denied the claim, even reaching out to Geo News’ Mazhar Abbas to clarify that he was never kidnapped or tortured. Geo News also confirmed that […]

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Claim: The video shows an American minister at a press conference saying that all Muslims in Palestine should be killed. In response to this statement, a Muslim journalist from the audience attacked her. Fact:  The video does not show an American government official announcing that all Muslims in Palestine should be killed only to be […]

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Claim: Journalist Waqas (@worqas) has claimed in a Twitter thread that 4 million Burmese people living in Saudi Arabia will be given Pakistani passports. Fact: The claim is false. The passport agreement signed on the sidelines of the Road to Makkah Program aimed at simplifying immigration procedures for Pakistani pilgrims. It did not involve any […]

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True False

Claim: Ansar Abbasi said the hike in petrol prices is a great decision and the public will now perform religious prayers instead of roaming in markets. Fact: The claim originated from a satirical tweet, which was eventually disseminated as real news. On 16 April 2023, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member Shehbaz Gill retweeted a statement attributed […]

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Claim: Salman Ahmad of Junoon has been arrested recently. Fact: Old videos of Salman Ahmad being arrested were shared out of context. On 25 March 2023, YouTuber Imran Riaz Khan shared a tweet claiming Salman Ahmad, a former member of the band Junoon, had been arrested. At the same time, a video was shared on […]

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True False

Claim: A photo shows slain journalist Arshad Sharif’s family gathered around his coffin to mourn his loss.  Fact: The photo does not show Arshad Sharif’s coffin. The image began circulating on social media in August 2022, a month before Sharif’s death.  Fact or Fiction? On 26 October 2022, Twitter user Rana Usman Parvaiz (@UsmanRana05) shared […]

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Claim: A video shows journalist Arshad Sharif’s mother. He was recently killed in Kenya.   Fact: The video does not show the slain journalist’s mother. The woman in the viral video has been misidentified. Fact or Fiction? On 24 October 2022, Twitter user Sadiq Afridi (@iamSadiqAfridi) shared a video claiming that it shows slain journalist Arshad […]

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Claim: Viral images and videos of a girl crying over a body in a coffin apparently show the daughter of journalist Arshad Sharif, who was recently killed in Kenya.   Fact: The images and videos show Senator Usman Kakar’s daughter grieving her father who was murdered in 2019. On 23 October 2022, Pakistani journalist and news […]

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Claim: Journalist Waqas Ahmed has started working at the International Human Rights Foundation (IHRF). Fact: Both Waqas Ahmed and the IHRF deny the claim. On 25 August 2022, a Twitter account called Standup Pakistan shared a tweet claiming that 29-year-old journalist Waqas Ahmed is the first Pakistani to work for the IHRF. This tweet gained […]

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Claim: Journalist Imran Riaz Khan is collecting donations online to help disabled people in Pakistan. Fact: Imran Riaz Khan’s Twitter account was hacked and a PayPal scam was shared through a tweet. The journalist uploaded a video warning people not to interact with his account or make any donations.  On 30 July 2022, journalist Imran […]

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True False

Claim: An Israeli journalist visited Makkahand Madina in July 2022 during the time of Hajj (7-12 July) on a permit issued by the Saudi government.   Fact: Israeli journalist Gil Tamary entered Makkah unlawfully with the help of a Saudi man who was later arrested by Saudi authorities.  On 20 July 2022, a Facebook page called […]

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Claim: A video is being shared on Facebook with a caption that states it depicts  Geo News anchor Sana Mirza crying during a live TV segment in the aftermath of Imran Khan’s removal from office as “her heart could not allow her to lie after seeing people’s love for Imran Khan.” Fact: The caption of […]

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