Fact-check: Images show false quotes attributed to SC judges during letter hearing

Social media is awash with graphics claiming to quote Supreme Court judges discussing former prime minister Imran Khan and the May 9 riots during court proceedings on April 3. The images additionally assert that these supposed remarks were aired by Geo News.

The claim is false. The graphics are fabricated. No such observations were made by the apex court judges, and neither did Geo News air the false claims.

Claim

On April 3, screenshots began circulating online and on WhatsApp, which seemingly showed Geo News reporting remarks made by Supreme Court judges during a hearing into a letter written by judges of the Islamabad High Court alleging interference by Pakistan’s premier spy agency into judicial matters.

“There was a false narrative created over the death of a boy who stole a peacock from Jinnah House [on May 9, 2023], said Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail,” read one of the images with Geo’s logo.

While the other graphic claimed that Justice Athar Minallah had observed during the hearing that Imran Khan was “falsely accused of murder and poisoning”.

Fact

The Supreme Court proceedings on April 3 were broadcasted live on all news channels as well as the YouTube channel of the Court. Geo Fact Check went through the entire 1 hour 30 minute hearing, during which Justice Minallah spoke three times, while Justice Mandokhail spoke five times.

But neither Justice Athar Minallah nor Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail made the remarks circulating online.

Separately, Geo News did not air the graphics being shared on social media. The fact was confirmed by Geo Fact Check by scanning through the news channel’s coverage on April 3. While the spokesperson of the channel also called the graphics “fake”.

With additional reporting by Saman Amjad.

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