Claim: A video statement of Imran Khan was recorded just before his arrest on 9 May 2023. Fact: The video statement of Imran Khan was actually posted in October 2022. On 9 May 2023, the Press Trust of India (PTI) posted a video statement (archive) of former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran […]
Claim: Journalist Shaheen Sehbai shared a video claiming it shows the recent brutality of law enforcement agencies against civilian protesters. Fact: Journalist Shaheen Sehbai shared a clip taken during a 2009 Swat operation, where Pakistani soldiers are seen torturing and beating Taliban suspects in the original 10-minute-long video. On 19 May 2023, Shaheen Sehbai shared […]
Claim: Geo News published Zulfi Bukhari’s statement claiming that since he is a British citizen, he will not be able to come to Pakistan for Al-Qadir Trust case hearings. Fact: The screenshot is doctored. Geo News did not publish any such statement by Zulfi Bukhari. On 24 May 2023, a screenshot of what appears to […]
Claim: Journalist Amir Mateen shared an old video of police brutality in the current context of political turmoil in Pakistan. Fact: The video is from September 2019 when an SHO in Multan assaulted women on camera. On 20 May 2023, journalist Amir Mateen shared a video on Twitter, with the caption “What’s going on […]
Claim: Khadija Shah, granddaughter of former COAS Asif Nawaz Janjua, recorded a video endorsing Imran Khan right before surrendering to the police. The clip has been widely shared on WhatsApp. Fact: The viral video is a TikTok of PTI activist Maya Haider, it does not show Khadija Shah. On 24 May 2023, a video went […]
Claim: A video shows a Punjab Police officer “misbehaving” and “insulting” an older woman amid a recent crackdown by authorities following protests across Pakistan against the 9 May arrest of Imran Khan. Fact: The video is not recent, nor does it have anything to do with the May 2023 crackdown by Punjab Police. It is, […]
Claim: A notification claims that the federal government has announced a public holiday on the occasion of Youm-e-Takreem Shuhada-e-Pakistan or Pakistan Martyrs Day. Fact: The notification is fake. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting refuted the claim stating that no such notification has been issued. On 23 May 2023, a notification was shared on social […]
Claim: Siraj-ul-Haq is the first Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer (leader) to face an assassination attempt, but no organisation has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, according to Daily Jang Akhbar. Fact: Former Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer (leader) Qazi Hussain Ahmad was attacked in Mohmand in November 2012. On 20 May 2023, Daily Jang Akhbar, Pakistan’s largest newspaper, published an […]
Claim: SSGC has announced a new daytime gas load-shedding schedule in Karachi. Fact: The message is false. The SSGC has termed it ‘fake news’ in a statement issued on 18 May 2023. On 18 May 2023, Soch Fact Check received a WhatsApp message claiming the Karachi-based Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSCG) had announced a […]
Claim: Akshay Kumar has condemned Imran Khan’s arrest. Fact: An old video of Akshay Kumar endorsing a wearable fitness device has been doctored. The Bollywood actor has not actually made any comments regarding Imran Khan. On 10 May 2023, Facebook page ‘PTI Murree’ posted a video (archive) claiming that Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar has, through […]
Claim: Maulvi Nigar Alam claimed that Imran Khan is a truthful man and that he is like the Prophet. Fact: Maulvi Nigar Alam made this statement about Saeed Khattak, who is a local PTI leader in Mardan. On 6 May 2023, videos and images of a mob lynching went viral on social media. These images […]
Claim: According to a letter issued by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Central Secretariat, the Government of Pakistan and Imran Khan have made a bilateral agreement that Khan will not be forced to strip naked or subjected to any kind of torture through metal rods and bamboo sticks or sexual violence. The letter also stated that these […]