Claim: Pakistan’s ranking in the Global Food Security Index (GFSI) has improved by three places during the first three years of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government. Fact: Pakistan’s ranking in the GFSI has only improved by one place. While the country’s scores for ‘Availability’ and ‘Quality and Safety’ improved between 2016 and 2021, those for […]
Claim: According to a viral message circulating on WhatsApp, a natural gas shutdown will be implemented across the country, including Karachi, from 1 December 2021. The text, which is being attributed to Pakistan’s Energy Minister Hammad Azhar, provided three discrete daily time slots during which the shutdown would be lifted and gas supplied. Fact: No […]
Claim: ● Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan was summoned by the Supreme Court of Pakistan because the government is negotiating a cease-fire with the terrorist organization Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). ● The Chief Justice of Pakistan “sternly question[ed] the sitting PM on his actions regarding the TTP.” Fact: ● The prime minister was not called […]
Claim: Former Australian cricket player Ricky Ponting said, “[Indian] Money can’t buy success and Pakistan has proved that.” Fact: Ricky Ponting did not say Money can’t buy success. After the Indian cricket team failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the T20 Cricket Worldcup 2021, a quote emerged on social media attributed to cricket commentator […]
Claim: A picture has surfaced online claiming to depict Jonathan, a tortoise born in 1832, five years prior to the coronation of Queen Victoria. Posts sharing the picture state that Jonathan is due to turn 190 years old in 2022, making him the oldest-known land animal alive today. Fact: The picture in fact shows ‘A11’, […]
Claim: A recent report claimed that the Central Directorate of National Savings (“National Savings”), the state-owned savings bank of Pakistan, has bumped up profit rates on various government schemes. Fact: The increase in National Savings’ profit rates mentioned in the report in fact came about in July 2020 and is not a recent development. However, […]
Claim: A 21-year-old girl was forced to marry a 10-year-old boy, causing many Pakistanis to react with fury. Fact: The alleged incident occurred in 2017 and is not recent. On 25 October 2021, Urdu-language Pakistani newspaper Daily Ausaf published a news story with the following headline: “10سالہ نوعمر لڑکا اور 21سالہ جوان لڑکی۔۔۔پاکستان کے بڑے […]
Claim: The PKR 5,000 note will be discontinued and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has announced the date that this move will take place. Fact: The SBP has not announced a decision to discontinue the PKR 5,000 banknote and, in fact, has no plans to do so in the future. In an email to […]
Claim: The Government of Sindh has announced a public holiday on 4 November. Fact: The Sindh government has indeed announced that 4 November will be a holiday to mark the annual Diwali festival. However, the holiday applies only to Hindu employees of the provincial government. On 1 November 2021, claims that the Government of Sindh […]
Claim: A private bank shut down a transgender activist’s newly-opened account, claiming that her income did not comply with Shariah laws. Fact: The incident did occur but it dates back to January 2021; some websites have picked up the story and rehashed it as a new incident. News media website Pak 92 News on 29 […]
Claims: ● The results of a recent study prove that the greater the age difference between two people in a couple, the lower the probability of divorce. Fact: ● There is no recent study that conclusively suggests there is an inverse relationship between age difference and probability of divorce. ● The study cited in the […]
Claim: The world’s biggest snake has been caught by two hunters in Florida, United States of America (USA). Fact: The record for the longest snake in the world dates back to 1912, when a reticulated python measured in at 32 feet and 9.5 inches. This record has not yet been broken. In 2020, two python […]