ARY News broadcasts fake X post of UN official admitting to errors in report on Imran Khan

Rating Justification

The iVerify Pakistan team has reviewed this content and determined that it is false.

To reach this conclusion, the iVerify Pakistan team investigated the social media accounts of Dr Mathew Gillett and ARY News to corroborate whether they posted and shared the alleged X post admitting to errors in a report about PTI founder Imran Khan.

On July 2, 2024, PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari posted a collage of ARY News tickers showing the alleged broadcast of a UN official’s X post about errors in a report on Imran. However, the channel did not broadcast any such post.

Imran is serving his sentence in the Iddat case at Adiala Jail. His sentences in the two Toshakhana cases were suspended while the Islamabad High Court acquitted him in the cipher case.

On July 1, an opinion from the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) surfaced that questioned the nature of Imran’s legal proceedings, declared them to be without any legal basis and recommended the government to immediately release him.

HOW IT STARTED

On July 2, 2024, PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari shared a collage of ARY News tickers on social media platform X showing a UN official’s X post about errors in the working group’s report on Imran’s detention.

The alleged X post by Dr Mathew Gillett was dated July 2 and said, “We are grateful for your feedback regarding the errors identified in the report. It is our constant endeavour to uphold the highest standards of merit in our work. Several detainees are undergoing judicial proceedings in accordance with their respective national laws, and we have no intention of influencing any judicial processes. Errors are an inherent aspect of any endeavour; we will promptly update and republish the report.”

Dr Gillett is WGAD’s chair rapporteur and a UN special mandate holder.

The caption of Bukhari’s post said, “Unfortunately, ARY News is airing fake news. The account is fake and has nothing to do with the UN. Desperation now showing with fake news being launched.”

The post gained over 290,000 views.

The same collage of tickers was shared by the PTI and gained over 31,000 views.

The caption of the post said, “Pity on ARY News who became their partner on fake news. Even they know that Imran Khan is in jail for false cases.”

PTI leader Shahbaz Gill also shared the same collage with the caption, “This account was created to tweet fake news to the media, then likely deleted. Wow, what a dual-faced act.”

His post gained over 115,000 views.

Some PTI supporters were also seen reposting the same collage with one person saying, “ARY‘s pathetic journalism, making a fake account of the head of the UN’s working group and spreading news.”

The post gained over 51,000 views.

METHODOLOGY

A fact check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in the matter as it pertained to the PTI founder, a UN official allegedly admitting to errors in the report that favoured Imran and ARY News subsequently allegedly broadcasting that admission on the news.

An investigation for any response from the media outlet on the matter led to a July 2 response by ARY News President Ammad Yousad to Bukhari, saying: “Unfortunately you have tweeted a fake/photoshopped screenshot. ARY News has nothing to do with it.”

An investigation on Dr Gillett’s X account featured in the collage yielded no results for any account with the handle “@mgm_gilletter” and the official only maintains a LinkedIn account.

Contacting him for a response on the issue and the alleged X account, he responded: “I can confirm this is false news. This is not an account that I have anything to do with.”

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim shared by PTI leader Bukhari about ARY News broadcasting Dr Gillett’s X post about errors in the WGAD report on Imran’s detention is false.

The media outlet’s president himself debunked and denied the broadcast of any such content.

Additionally, Dr Gillett also distanced himself and categorically denied that he had anything to do with the impostor X account.

Evidence and References

July 2, 2024, X post of ARY News president:
https://perma.cc/FP39-T37X