Claim: The menu of the Capitol Hill Club, where Imran Khan’s sons recently dined, mentioned that it does not serve halal or kosher food.
Fact: The claim is false. The menus shared on the club’s website do not contain any guidelines saying that they do not serve halal or kosher food. Additionally, the viral document contains several errors, indicating that it is fake and was likely altered using AI.
X user @shahzaibnoshahi shared an image of Kasim Khan and Sulaiman Khan dining at the Capitol Hill Club along with an image of the club’s supposed menu, writing, “ڈیئر گروک
@grok
کل قاسم گولڈ اسمتھ، سلیمان گولڈ اسمتھ کی اپنے کچھ امریکی دوستوں کے ساتھ کیپیٹل ہِل کلب میں سؤر کا گوشت کھاتے ہوئے ویڈیو وائرل ہوئی، وہ پوچھنا یہ تھا کہ کیا مذکورہ کلب میں مہمانوں کے لئے حلال گوشت دستیاب ہوتا ہے؟
ریفرنس کے لئے کلب کا گائیڈ لائن پوسٹر بھی منسلک ہے۔”
[Translation: Dear Grok @grok
Yesterday, a video went viral showing Kasim Goldsmith and Sulaiman Goldsmith eating pork at the Capitol Hill Club with some of their American friends. The question is: does this club offer Halal meat for its guests?
For reference, a poster of the club’s guidelines is also attached.]
The claim was subsequently shared across social media platforms
Imran Khan’s sons’ campaign
Imran Khan’s sons, Sulaiman and Kasim Khan, launched a campaign calling for their father’s release from prison, beginning with a visit to the US, where they met the US envoy for special missions Richard Grenell and Dr Asif Mahmood of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom.
Grenell, who has previously voiced support for Khan’s release, shared on X that he met with Sulaiman and Kasim in California and encouraged them to “stay strong.”
Dr Mahmood, vice chairman of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), also shared a picture on X with Grenell and the ex-premier’s sons, writing:,
“Immense pride for @Kasim_Khan_1999 and Sulaiman Khan for their bravery in fighting for their father, Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s freedom, who has been unjustly imprisoned by the Pakistani military!
Huge thanks to my friend Amb. @RichardGrenell for standing for justice and principle.
Let’s unite for #FreeImranKhan!”
Earlier this month, Aleema Khan announced that the two brothers would head to the US before coming to Pakistan to join the movement seeking their father’s release. While the government has not formally commented, Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik stated, the brothers are legally barred from participating in domestic political activities, “though some PML-N leaders believe they should be allowed to campaign within legal limits,” according to Pakistan Today.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check first reviewed the Capitol Hill Club’s website. None of the available menus mentioned any guidelines on not catering halal or kosher food. The menus, along with their ‘Catering Guidelines’, can be viewed here, here, here and here.
Notably, the logo on the club’s menu differed from the logo on the document circulating online. While the former reads “National Republican Club of Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.” the text on the logo of the viral document is illegible. This indicates the use of AI to alter the document as AI struggles to render text and logos accurately.
The document also contained several grammatical and spelling errors. For instance, the first paragraph reads, “The Capitol Hill Club Catering Department offers. Members the opporennity to host meetings or banquets ranging to intimate atrangements to parties or receptions up to up 300 guests. We a pleasure to assist you in planning any.” The first sentence ends abruptly with a period. Opporennity and atrangements are misspelled versions of opportunity and arrangements.
Under the food and beverage section, the second sentence contains glaring errors as well. It reads, “For security reasons, we cannot check baggage or store luggage is not whitor bugr private roons.” Similarly, under the Pets & Luggage section, the sentence reads, “To protect Service Animals, are not permitted i’in the Club. For security reasons, we cannot check baggage or store cluggage in private private rooms.
The viral document, which allegedly shows the Capitol Hill Club’s Catering Guidelines, does not match the version available on the club’s official website. Therefore, we conclude that it is not authentic.
Virality
The claim was shared here, here, here, here, here, and here. Archived here, here, here, here, here, and here.
On X, it was shared here, here, here, here, and here. Archived here, here, here, here, and here.
Conclusion: The claim that the Capitol Hill Club’s menu, where Imran Khan’s sons recently dined, states that it does not serve halal or kosher food is false. The menus available on the official website do not contain any guidelines on halal or kosher food. Several errors in the viral document itself indicate that it is fake and was likely created using AI.
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Background image in cover photo: Instagram @noreen.khan
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