Pakistan is witnessing a surge in fake news on social media, with new and dangerous examples emerging daily. Not only ordinary users are sharing unverified news, but even high-ranking government officials are being affected badly.

A recent example is a screenshot shared by a user named Chaudhry Shabaz Gil, which appeared to be from a news website http://Siast.pk. The screenshot quoted Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir as saying, “The authority to fire lies with the Prime Minister, and we are constitutionally bound to follow orders.” However, the screenshot was later revealed to be fake, with the news website distancing itself from the image.

The situation took a turn for the worse when the fake news was picked up by the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who responded to it as if it were true. A video was also shared by journalist Sabir Shakir, showing Ali Amin Gandapur reacting to the fake image.