Claim: A photo shows former Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senator Sehar Kamran alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin. Fact: Kamran is not currently in Russia. While Kamran did take a selfie with Putin in 2018, a doctored photo of the two is currently going viral. On 23 February 2022, Twitter user @Zakr1a shared a photo of […]
Claim: In a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan, Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa paid tribute to 190 soldiers martyred during a four-day battle in the Noshki and Panjgur areas of Balochistan, requested a pay raise for the Frontier Corps (FC) and Rangers personnel, and asked for proper compensation for the martyrs’ families. […]
Claim: Lay’s chips sold in Pakistan contain a food additive derived from pork, making them unsuitable for Muslims. Fact: Lay’s Pakistan’s chips contain the additive E631, which is derived from plants not animal fat. The chips do not contain any pork. Fact or Fiction? On 30 January 2022, Facebook user Shah Baba shared a video […]
Claim: According to Prime Minister Imran Khan, the tax rate is now 0%. Fact: The prime minister did not say the tax rate is now 0%. Rather, while speaking at the launch of an e-commerce portal on 21 February 2022, Khan said that registered IT freelancers will be exempt from all forms of tax. Fact […]
Claim: The Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) draws a salary of PKR 15 million per month. Fact: The current SBP governor, Dr Reza Baqir receives a monthly salary of PKR 2.5 million. Fact or Fiction? On 7 January 2022, a forwarded chain message was shared on WhatsApp stating that the Governor of […]
Claim: The Lahore District Court has issued arrest warrants for activist Leena Ghani and singer Meesha Shafi in a criminal defamation case registered under the cybercrime law by musician Ali Zafar. Zafar has accused Ghani and Shafi of running a ‘malicious campaign’ against him on social media. Fact: On 19 February 2022, the Lahore District […]
Claim: Finance Ministry spokesperson Muzzammil Aslam has said that following the hike in petrol prices in Pakistan, he did not see a decline in the number of vehicles on the roads and people absorbed the [oil] shock because of the country’s high per capita income. Aslam also said that those calling the hike in prices […]
Claim: Three Pakistani universities issued guidelines for Valentine’s Day, directing male students to wear caps and female students to cover their heads, as well as forbidding “gender mixing”. Fact: All three universities in question have confirmed the notifications are fake. On 12 February 2022, copies of notifications allegedly issued by three Pakistani universities — Riphah […]
Claim: The ruling PTI has asked Iftikhar Ahmed Lund, former central vice president of its Sindh chapter, to keep his “iron rod” ready for July 23 by-polls in the province’s Ghotki constituency. Fact: The story, while true, is from 2019 when by-polls were scheduled to take place in Sindh’s Ghotki constituency. On 17 January 2022, […]
Claim: A Facebook page shared a post about plans to restore and renovate historic buildings in Sheikh Badin National Park, along with an image apparently depicting one such building. Fact: The image is in fact of the Great Mosque of Djenne, also known as Timbuktu Djinguereber Mosque, which is located in Mali and not in […]
Claim: TransPeshawar BRT, the bus rapid transit system in Peshawar, won the Sustainable Transport Award (STA) 2022. Fact: TransPeshawar or Peshawar BRT won the second “Honourable Mention” at the 2022 Sustainable Transport Awards. The first place award was, in fact, won by Bogotá, Columbia, in recognition of the city’s implementation of several sustainable mobility initiatives. […]
Claim: A video is being circulated with the claim that it shows an elderly woman, Naseem, protesting outside the Lahore Press Club following the disappearance of her daughter, who has been missing for four days. Fact: The clip does show Naseem but it is not recent. The video is from January 2021; it is being […]