ISLAMABAD: Several Indian media outlets and social media accounts are circulating fake news alleging a radiation leak in northern Pakistan, citing a fake government document and misleading online posts from fake social media accounts.
Independent fact-checkers and digital analysts have confirmed that the claims are entirely fabricated and is part of a disinformation campaign.
The claim
The false narrative began trending on X (formerly Twitter), where an account impersonating a Pakistani user named “Fawad” claimed that villages in Sargodha were being evacuated due to a radiation leak.
🚨 BIG BREAKING:
Radiation leak confirmed in Pakistan.
Locals suffering from vomiting, headaches, and nausea.
Official admitted the leak — but military is silent.
Kya sach chhupaya ja raha hai?#radiation #NuclearLeak #DroneAttack pic.twitter.com/bC174fR5Ro
— Reenu yadav (@reenu26451) May 13, 2025
The post was poorly written, with incorrect Urdu grammar and syntax, indicating it was likely generated using translation tools like Google Translate.
The user failed to provide any specific location details or respond to queries from others, and continued reposting the same content without clarification.
Central to the claim is a fake letter titled “Radiological Safety Bulletin”, allegedly issued by Pakistan’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination.
The document, dated 13 May 2025, states that a radiation leak occurred due to a mechanical failure during the transfer of an Indium-192 capsule used for non-destructive testing (NDT).
The letter further states that the incident took place at an unnamed facility in northern Pakistan and that immediate evacuation orders were issued.
Fact-check
However, a fact-check debunked the document as fake. The analysis found at least 17 spelling and grammatical errors in the letter, including basic mistakes such as incorrect email formatting.
The listed email address, [email protected], is not a valid government domain and returned an “Address not found” error when contacted.
Furthermore, the letter references a non-existent department — the “National Radiological Safety Division” — and attributes it to a fictitious official named “Malik Asad Rafique”.
Fact-checking also confirmed that no credible international media outlet has reported any such radiation incident.
Experts say the disinformation bears hallmarks of earlier cyber propaganda efforts. A 2020 report by EU DisinfoLab exposed a vast network of over 750 fake websites and accounts originating from India designed to malign Pakistan internationally. The current incident appears to follow a similar pattern.
