Fact-Check: Viral letter claiming PM Shehbaz was hospitalised is fake
On April 27, the same day the letter claims the prime minister was hospitalised, Shehbaz Sharif held a meeting with a delegation from World Liberty Financial
Updated Saturday May 03 2025
Indian social media accounts are sharing an alleged confidential letter apprising top officials that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has been hospitalised.
This purported letter comes at a time when tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan following an attack that killed 26 civilians in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) last week.
The claim is false and the notification is fabricated.
Claim
The supposed letter, dated April 27, has been issued by the Prime Minister’s Office with the subject: Confidential – Hospitalisation of the Honourable Prime Minister at CMH Rawalpindi.
“It is hereby informed, in confidence, that the Honourable Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan was admitted to Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Rawalpindi on April 27, 2025, for medical evaluation and treatment related to a case of haemorrhoids,” states the purported letter.
It adds that the prime minister remains under expert care of a specialised medical team.
“All concerned offices are advised to maintain strict confidentiality of this information,” the letter further directs.
A copy of the letter has allegedly been sent to the Pakistan army chief, the director general of the army’s media wing, and several federal ministers. It also bears the signature of Asad Rehman Gilani, the principal secretary to the prime minister.
The alleged letter has been shared online here, here and here.
Fact
The letter being circulated online is fake, confirmed by senior government officials and independently verified by Geo Fact Check.
Talal Chaudhry, the minister of state for interior, told Geo Fact Check over the phone that the letter cannot be genuine as it is signed by Gilani.
“Gilani is no longer the PM’s secretary,” Chaudhry said, “He was transferred [to another department] a month and half back.”
The minister also shared a notification issued by the Establishment Division showing that Gilani was transferred from the prime minister’s office and appointed as secretary of the National Heritage and Culture Division on March 17.
Additionally, M Arshad Munir, the additional secretary for media at the Prime Minister’s Office, also confirmed the letter is fake.
Importantly, on April 27, the same day the letter claims the prime minister was hospitalised, Shehbaz held a meeting with a delegation from the US-based World Liberty Financial (WLF), which was widely covered by both state and private media.
A press release by the Prime Minister Office regarding the meeting can be read here.
Geo News also aired a new report regarding the meeting. This debunks the claim that PM Sharif was ill or hospitalised on April 27.
Verdict: The letter alleging PM Shehbaz's hospitalisation is fabricated and part of a disinformation campaign. Official records and media coverage confirm he was engaged in public duties on April 27.
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