Tag: Fake News

  • Man allegedly involved in spreading fake news triggering UK anti-Muslim riots arrested in Lahore

    Man allegedly involved in spreading fake news triggering UK anti-Muslim riots arrested in Lahore

    In an interesting development, Pakistani citizen Farhan Asif was taken into custody in Lahore for being involved in spreading fake news which sparked far-right racist riots in the United Kingdom a few weeks ago.

    During the last few weeks, Britain witnessed dangerous, widespread, violent riots as a result of misinformation about the identity of the alleged attack that killed three young girls on July 29.

    The riots targeted immigrants, Muslim communities, asylum centres and numerous mosques as well.

    The UK police authorities said that they had arrested over 1,000 people in connection with the weeks-long riots in England.

    The Lahore police stated that the suspect was arrested in the DHA area of Lahore and handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Cybercrime wing for interrogation.

    Geo News reported that the suspect works for a news platform based in Pakistan. He has already confessed to the interrogators that he once published a story on his news website that went viral.

    Background

    On August 8, BBC’s Marianna Spring reported about the involvement of a Lahore man in spreading misinformation regarding the Southport stabbing.

    The BBC report was followed by an ITV report stating that Farhan Asif was the owner of the website which misquoted the name of the stabber as Ali Al-Shakati and declared him an immigrant from Syria, who had arrived in the UK on a boat. Later, a UK court announced that the name of the teenager charged with the murders was Axel Rudakubana, who turned out to be a British national.

    ITV said that they couldn’t find out who is the real owner of the website but Farhan Asif has “a significant role in a network of news websites that have promoted falsehoods.”

    Dawn’s sources in Pakistan said that the person identified in the ITV report was a freelancer working for Channel3Now, which collects crime-related news from the UK and the USA and republishes the stories for the sake of clicks and advertisements.

    The BBC report also cracked down on people attached to Channel3Now and asserted that it was actually “a commercial operation attempting to aggregate crime news while making money on social media”. The analysis of the website also showed that all the the freelance writers were recruited from several countries, including Pakistan and India.

    The BBC report elaborated that there are “more than 30” people in the US, UK, Pakistan and India who work for the site, which usually recruits freelancers.

    According to ITV, Channel3Now regularly publishes sensational news stories under the garb of being an American-style TV channel.

    However, BBC quoted Kevin as saying that Farhan Asif in particular was not involved in the false Southport story, which the site has publicly apologised for, and blamed there UK based team for that.

    Wider disinformation network

    Even though the report speculated that the website had links with Russia, it could not come up with a proof for that. Marianna Spring stated, “I did not find any evidence to substantiate claims that Channel3Now’s misinformation could be linked to the Russian state. [A] person claiming to be from Channel3Now‘s management told me that the publication of the false name “shouldn’t have happened, but it was an error, not intentional”.

    Atika noted that there are chances of website be linked to Srivastava Group, an Indian company that ran a vast network of anti-Pakistan fake news websites, which was unearthed by the EU DisinfoLab in a 2019 investigation.

  • No cyberattacks on ATMs across country, clarifies 1LINK

    No cyberattacks on ATMs across country, clarifies 1LINK

    1LINK, one of the largest interbank networks in Pakistan, has denied social media rumours that ATMs will be closed for the next two to three days on fears of a cyberattack.

    The clarification came forward in a notification by 1LINK after social media was abuzz with rumours that ATMs would remain closed for a few days, asking customers to avoid using ATMs.

    The message also warned people not to conduct any online transactions during this time and claimed that this alleged cyberattack report was also aired on BBC radio.

    In its response, BBC Urdu also dismissed the claim that no such thing has been aired.

    “Thus far, no cyber threat has been observed on the ATM and online banking ecosystem in this context, and the financial service industry remains vigilant as ever before,” the notification by 1LINK read.

  • Pakistani bank statements unacceptable for UK visa? Fake news!

    Pakistani bank statements unacceptable for UK visa? Fake news!

    A letter circulating all over social media claiming that the United Kingdom will no longer accept financial documents from major Pakistani banks for visa or immigration applications and that English language tests, including IELTS, will be considered unacceptable for Pakistani students has turned out to be fake.

    In the letter allegedly issued by UK Visas and Immigration, it was stated that certain Pakistani banks’ statements would no longer be acceptable for UK visa applications.

    The letter then goes on to name nine major banks in the country.

    It also listed English language tests allegedly rejected by the UK, including Oxford ELLT Digital, IELTS Life Skills, and Pearson Test of English.

    The British High Commission in Islamabad debunked the letter as false, clarifying that no such restrictions have been imposed.

    The official statement by the Commission was posted on X (Twitter) account and confirmed by the Geo Fact Check team via mail. It stated that the Commission is aware of a “fake document being shared pretending to be from UK Visa and Immigration.”

  • Russian Embassy sets the record straight after claims of Ambassador congratulating Khan

    Russian Embassy sets the record straight after claims of Ambassador congratulating Khan

    The Russian Embassy in Pakistan on June 4 posted a clarification on the social media website X, formerly Twitter, stating that, “The official pages of the Embassy of Russia on social media platforms are the only credible source of information on our Ambassador’s engagements and activities.”

    Interestingly, accounts affiliated with the political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on June 3 claimed that the Russian ambassador to Pakistan sent a “congratulatory message” to Chairman PTI Imran Khan for getting relief in the Cypher case.

    Multiple accounts affiliated with PTI started re-tweeting the claim on X.

    The Russian embassy in Pakistan also stated, “The Embassy of Russia in Islamabad is closely following the developments in Pakistan, including the political situation and court decisions. However, we believe that it is up to the Pakistani people to react to and comment on these developments.”

  • Hina Pervaiz Butt falsely claims Khan’s interview with Mehdi Hassan was paid

    Hina Pervaiz Butt falsely claims Khan’s interview with Mehdi Hassan was paid

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Hina Parvaiz Butt recently got into a Twitter feud with journalist Mehdi Hassan after she called his recent interview with founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan “paid content.”

    Former Prime Minister Imran Khan gave an exclusive interview with renowned journalist Mehdi Hassan for his new platform Zeteo where he openly talked about his imprisonment experience, past regrets, and the country’s worsening political situation.

    The interview was available to paid subscribers on his new platform Zeteo and the MPA highlighted the ‘paid’ written at the start of the article alleging that it is paid content, a claim that is false.

    Mehdi called her out saying, “This Pakistani politician from the governing party is pushing a conspiracy theory that I was “paid” to do my interview with Imran Khan. ‘Paid’ on the post below means it’s a post only for paid subscribers to Zeteo.”

  • Panicked govt brought students back from Kyrgyzstan over fake news, says journalist Azaz Syed

    Panicked govt brought students back from Kyrgyzstan over fake news, says journalist Azaz Syed

    Journalist Azaz Syed in his political talk show ‘Talk Shock’ recently revealed that the government of Pakistan spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to bring back students from Kyrgyzstan over “fake news and propaganda” while no other country did that.

    Syed said, “A panic spread over social media over fake news due to which students got scared and the government also panicked even though the Pakistani Ambassador over there insisted that students are safe.”

    “PM Shehbaz ordered the evacuation plan for students due to which 12 chartered planes were organized,” said The News journalist.

    Azaz added that the government government paid fines for the few illegal migrants that were present in Kyrgyzstan. “More than four thousand people returned and many of them had no money to travel further in Pakistan or to eat, so the government made those arrangements as well.”

    Azaz noted, “All of this over fake news. Look at India, their embassy released a press release for students to stay there because there are no threats. Almost 19,000 Indian students are present there and multiple other foreign citizens were also there and none of them returned.”

    He further said that most of the Pakistani students who returned “were in their initial study years while those doing their house job or final exams before graduation are still there.”

    “How will the returned students continue their studies now?” asked Azaz Syed.

    Fakhar Durrani, another senior journalist with The News, stated, “There was intense pressure on the government by PTI propaganda online that they completely panicked.”

  • ‘Social media is being used to create environment of chaos,’ says General Asim Munir

    ‘Social media is being used to create environment of chaos,’ says General Asim Munir

    In a recent address at the National Farmers Convention in Islamabad, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir expressed concern over the rampant spread of fabricated claims against the state of Pakistan on social media.

    “Social media is being used to create an environment of chaos, despair, and panic. Through fake news, an impression is being created that the state is losing its [writ],” the army chief said in an address to the National Farmers Convention in Islamabad on Friday.

    Pakistan, like many other nations, is grappling with the challenge of fake news on social media, where unfounded reports fueled by emotional appeals are spreading rapidly and contributing to societal divisions. A detailed report earlier this year by EU DisinfoLab revealed that Indian media outlets were involved in a smear campaign against Pakistan, quoting non-existent organizations, journalists, and bloggers.

    COAS Munir highlighted that such smear campaigns are not limited to external actors, as investigations have revealed the involvement of the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in using state resources to spread false propaganda against state institutions.

    Addressing the farmers, COAS Munir addressed the rumors and negative impressions being spread about Pakistan. He emphasized the historical significance of Pakistan, stating that it is founded on the principles of the Kalima, with divine backing for the country.

    COAS Munir reminded the audience of Pakistan’s abundant resources, including glaciers, rivers, mountains, and fertile land producing world-class rice, fruits, and valuable minerals like granite, gold, and copper.

    He lamented that Pakistan, once one of the fastest-growing countries in Asia in the 1960s, witnessed a decline due to forgetting the golden principles of faith, unity, and discipline advocated by the Quaid-i-Azam.

    Moving forward, COAS Munir discussed the Green Pakistan Initiative, highlighting its focus on boosting agriculture. He assured that a major chunk of the initiative’s income will go to the provinces, while the rest will be kept for farmers and agricultural research, he said, noting that the “role of the army in this is only to serve the people and farmers”.

    COAS Munir pledged to ensure easy agricultural credit, a cold storage chain, climate change-resistant seeds, and genetically engineered livestock for farmers.

  • Israeli propaganda getting help from Indians

    Israeli propaganda getting help from Indians

    Ahead of the statement given by Israeli Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, about being “overwhelmed” by the unprecedented response he has received from the country, Indians have become an active part of the Israeli propaganda team all across social media.

    In his interview to The Economic Times, Gilon stated that with this kind of support from Indians, he believes “he could have another IDF with the (Indian) volunteers” because everyone is calling him to offer help. He goes on to elaborate that “the closeness India and Israel has is understandable but cannot be explained, It’s something very unique.”

    The Ambassador also posted messages of solidarity by spectators in the Pak vs India match and as recently as some hours ago posted about Hamas being the culprit behind the bombing of Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital. Indian media quotes him as their official resource as Gilon retweets journalists and media houses propagating the false narrative.

    There are a number of accounts on social media titled Indians for Israel or India stands with Israel. Added to that are fake accounts posing as Palestinians, even Al Jazeera reporters (Farida Khan) spreading Anti-Hamas and Pro-Israeli narrative. A number of tweets were found and reported to have similar content.

    Al-Jazeera has reported about the virality of disinformation caused by the blue-ticked accounts terming them “disinfluencers” with budding Islamophobic conspiracy theories. The article takes a closer look at the “BJP IT Cell” to which most Islamopobic content and trolling is likely to be attributed to.
    Author and Journalist Marc Owen Jonas has revealed many instances of fake-news including a video circulating on social media, mostly shared by Indians, gaining millions of impressions and retweets about girls becoming sex-slaves for Hamas. A closer look shows them to be happily chatting and using phones.

    However, there are some voices of dissent too, which get rebuked but stand tall in their stance. Ravi Nair, an esteemed journalist, not just voiced his opinion on India’s growing inclination towards right-wing but also exposed the original supporters of Zionism.
    In one of his tweets he said, “Hello, Israel, we Indians don’t support right-wing criminals whether Zionists or Hindutavaadis.”

    To which he got hate from American Hindu Republican Renee Lynn in these words, “If you want to support Terrorists because you are brainwashed and want to shout Allahu Akbar then go away. You are not the majority in India”.

    Pratik Sinha associated with ALT News, a credible fact checker resource has said, “With India now exporting its disinformation actors in the Indian mainstream media and on social media in support of Israel, hopefully the world will now realise how the Indian right-wing has made India the disinformation capital of the world”.

  • MoIB warns against spreading false news of Rs5,000 banknote ban

    MoIB warns against spreading false news of Rs5,000 banknote ban

    The official Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB) handle recently confirmed that the news circulating on various social media platforms regarding the ban of Rs5,000 banknotes is fake.

    In a recent post, MoIB stated, “Disseminating #FakeNews is not only unethical and illegal but it is also disservice to the nation. It is the responsibility of everyone to reject irresponsible behavior.”

    The fake letter circulating on social media falsely claims, “Effective Date: The ban on Rs5,000 currency notes will take effect on September 30, 2023. From this date onwards, these notes will no longer be legal tender.

    Exchange and Deposit: Citizens and financial institutions are encouraged to exchange or deposit their Rs 5000 notes at authorized banks and financial institutions until the specified deadline. After September 30, 2023, the notes will only be accepted at designated government offices and central banks.”

    This is not the first time such news has gone viral on social media regarding the discontinuation of Rs5,000 notes. Similar false reports have surfaced in the past, and reputable news channels have later clarified that no such action is being taken.

  • Fact Check: Were liquor bottles recovered from Saad Rizvi’s car?

    Fact Check: Were liquor bottles recovered from Saad Rizvi’s car?

    Claim: Bottles of liquor were recovered from the car of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) Chief Saad Rizvi.

    A screenshot of 24 News HD has been circulating online, stating that bottles of liquor were recovered from Saad Rizvi’s car.

    It has been clarified by 24 News that no such information was shared by the channel and the screen shot is fake. “The news about Saad Rizvi is based on lies… False propaganda against 24 News,” clarified the channel.

    Many on Twitter have also shared the fabricated screenshot, wondering if the news is true, while some used a sarcastic tone. One person tweeted, “According to a news report, 5 bottles of alcohol were stolen from Saad Rizvi’s car #ChalochaloLahoreChalo.”

    On the other hand, some termed it as ‘another horrendous political’ hoax. “Another horrendous politics is being played by the ones who are in power in #Pakistan Whatsoever you do, remember one thing! We don’t believe you. I am not a supporter of #SaadRizvi, but this can’t be truth,” tweeted another.

    Verdict: 24 News screenshot being randomly shared on social media with claims of alcohol recovered from TLP chief Saad Rizvi’s car is fabricated. No such incident took place.