Claim: A clip on Facebook, with a thumbnail that includes images of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, shows how intelligence agencies spy on citizens. Fact: The thumbnail of the Facebook video is misleading; the clip is, in fact, from the 2015 film ‘Eye in the Sky’ […]
Claim: Caryn E Gifford, a level 2 policy advisor to American diplomat David Blome, posted a tweet confirming that a US tactical drone accidentally hit a Pakistan Army helicopter in Balochistan’s Lasbela, resulting in multiple fatalities. Fact: The US embassy has not issued any statement regarding the recent Pakistan Army helicopter accident in Lasbela, Balochistan. […]
Claim: A photo shows the wreckage of a Pakistan Army helicopter that was carrying six passengers, including 12 Corps Commander Lieutenant General Sarfraz Ali, to Balochistan’s Lasbela for flood relief operations and crashed on 1 August. Fact: The image is not related to the 1 August crash but is, in fact, from another incident from […]
Claim: A photo being shared on social media shows Russian President Vladimir Putin watching the news of the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) victory in the recent by-elections in Punjab, Pakistan. Fact: The photo doing the rounds on social media is doctored. It is actually from 26 January 2022 when Putin held a meeting with […]
Claim: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial during a hearing pertaining to the election of Punjab’s chief minister was reported as saying, “It is rainy season [but] no one brought pakoras for us,” according to a Geo News bulletin. Fact: Justice Bandial made no such comment; a Geo News bulletin was doctored to […]
Claim: Startup Pakistan shared a post claiming that the Pakistani government is selling a 100% stake in several state-owned companies, namely Pakistan International Airlines, Pakistan State Oil, Sui Southern Gas Company, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines, Oil & Gas Development Company, and Pakistan Petroleum. An article linked in the post further states that the government repealed […]
Claim: An image shared on Twitter depicts three individuals who died in the July 2022 flash floods in Balochistan. Fact: The image is old and was first reported in 2019 when Balochistan was hit by monsoon floods. On 29 July 2022, Twitter user and writer Khadim Hussain shared an image with a caption; “The heart-wrenching […]
Claim: A video shows raindrops falling onto a body of water, progressively getting closer to the person filming, as a downpour starts. The caption accompanying the clip suggests the video was taken in Karachi, Pakistan. Fact: The video was, in fact, shot at Aheru Lake in Valgamaa, Estonia on 19 July 2022 by Priitin Rebane, […]
Claim: A video shows passengers in a moving car that was inundated with water during the recent bout of heavy rainfall in Karachi. Fact: The video is, in fact, not recent; it surfaced back in 2020 when a similar monsoon season lashed Karachi. On 7 July 2022, Facebook page ‘Bilawal Zardari’ shared a video claiming […]
Claim: According to a tweet by defense analyst Davis Jackman, the head of the CIA told US President Joe Biden that former Prime Minister Imran Khan will likely win the upcoming general elections in Pakistan with two-thirds majority. Fact: The claim is false. There is no publicly available evidence to suggest the head of the […]
Claim: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was not given the same welcome by Turkey during his visit in 2022 as his predecessor, Imran Khan, who was received by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Sharif was welcomed by the Turkish Minister of Local Government instead. Fact: The picture depicting Khan shaking hands with Erdogan is, in fact, […]
Claim: Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif has publicly endorsed a “soft intervention” in the country by the Pakistan Army and has said that if a soft intervention can lead to any sort of benefit to the country, then he is ready to accept it. Fact: Capital TV spread a false headline claiming that Prime […]