Claim: The Government of Punjab has made it mandatory for boys and girls to wear caps and scarves, respectively, in schools across the province. Fact: Schoolchildren will only be required to wear caps and scarves when attending the classes reserved for Quran recitation and teaching. On 17 January 2022, journalist Hasan Zaidi, Dawn’s editor for […]
Claim: Pakistan has banned indoor dining to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic’s fifth wave. Fact: On 19 January 2022, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) banned indoor gatherings, weddings, and dining, but only in districts and cities with a COVID-19 positivity rate over 10%. Fact or Fiction? On 21 January 2022, Facebook page FHM Pakistan […]
Claim: A scenic motorway-bridge high in the mountains was built under the leadership of PML-N supremo and former prime minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif. Fact: The motorway-bridge is located in Austria, not Pakistan, and has no connection to Sharif. On 1 January 2022, Facebook user ‘Hayat Yusofzai’ posted an image showing a motorway passing through […]
Claim: A video doing the rounds on social media depicts the Taliban destroying mobile phones in Afghanistan. Fact: The video is not of the Taliban destroying mobile phones in Afghanistan but of Pakistan Customs’ officers destroying smuggled and contraband goods at a destruction ceremony in Karachi. Fact or Fiction: On 13 January 2022, Facebook page […]
Claim: Pakistan has cancelled a deal with Turkey to acquire 30 T129 ATAK helicopters. Fact: Pakistan has not cancelled the helicopter deal with Turkey. Fact or Fiction? On 5 January 2022, Facebook page The Bangladesh Defence Analyst made the following claim in a post: “DG ISPR has confirmed that Pakistan Army Aviation is going to […]
Claim: The Government of Sindh has ordered the closure of schools across the province and Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has suggested imposing a lockdown due to the concerning COVID-19 situation. Fact: The chief minister said the decision to impose a lockdown and close schools would be taken in line with National Command and Operation […]
Claim: A video circulating on social media allegedly depicts an excavator crane crashing into a ditch while carrying out relief work in Murree following a disastrous road blockage that left 22 dead. Fact: The video does show a crane overturning and slipping into a ditch, but it is from 2020 and was not taken in […]
Claim: The animal in the photograph is a Himalayan Yak captured on camera in Khaplu Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan. Fact: The photo shows a bison, not a yak, and was taken by Tom Murphy in Yellowstone National Park in the United States. On 1 January 2022, a tweet was sent to Soch Fact Check for verification. In […]
Claim: A truck driver who was stopped on Karachi’s University Road for allegedly offending the religious sentiments of Muslims said his vehicle is owned by PepsiCo India. Fact: The truck in question does not belong to PepsiCo India, nor did the driver say his truck is owned by PepsiCo India. The word ‘India’ was not […]
Claim: Prime Minister Imran Khan has ordered banks to implement a ‘shalwar kameez’ dress code. Fact: Khan made the comment informally, perhaps as a joke, and did not issue any orders or endorse the idea in any official capacity. On 30 December 2021, Pakistani news website Global Village Space (GVS) published a report headlined, “Wear […]
Claim: The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) collaborated with Government College University (GCU) Lahore to organise the Harry Potter Festival in December 2021. Fact: The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) had no involvement in the Harry Potter Festival hosted by Government College University (GCU) Lahore, according to an official of the WCLA. On […]
Claim: Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah said, “We are all Pakistanis and none of us is Sindhi, Balochi, Pathan or Punjabi. We should be proud to be Pakistani only and only.” Fact: The quote is being wrongly attributed to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in posts shared online. Jinnah did not say, “We are all Pakistanis and […]