ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s Fact Check account on Monday rejected reports claiming that a Pakistan Army officer died during the Pakistan–Sri Lanka cricket match at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, clarifying that the deceased was an employee of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
A social media post had claimed that a Pakistan Army personnel died of a heart attack during the ongoing Pakistan–Sri Lanka match at the stadium.
The post stated that, according to rescue sources, 50-year-old Muhammad Farooq, son of Muhammad Azam, suddenly lost consciousness during the match and was shifted to a hospital, where he later died.
However, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting refuted the claim in a statement shared on X, saying the deceased was a PCB employee and was not present at the stadium during the match. It added that he had no involvement in the event.
According to the ministry, the individual suffered an electric shock, following which his family contacted Rescue 1122 and he was shifted to a local hospital.
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The ministry said hospital records identified the cause of death as electrocution, adding that further inquiry would proceed in accordance with the prescribed procedure.
“Linking this medical emergency to the cricket match is misleading,” the statement said, clarifying that the individual’s employment with the PCB did not establish any connection between the incident and the ongoing match.
The ministry urged the public to verify information before sharing claims on social media. It also shared a report from New Town Police Station regarding the incident on social media.
𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 — 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤
Claim: An officer of the Pakistan Army passed away due to a heart attack during the ongoing Pakistan–Sri Lanka cricket match at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Fact
▪️The individual is a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) employee. He was not present at the stadium during the match and had no involvement in the event. He suffered electric shock following which his family contacted Rescue 1122 and he was shifted to local hospital.
▪️Cause of death as per hospital record has been identified as “electrocution”. Further inquiry will proceed as per procedure.▪️Linking this medical emergency to the cricket match is misleading. The individual’s employment with the PCB does not establish any connection between the incident and the ongoing match.
The public is urged to verify facts before sharing misleading claims.
— Fact Checker MoIB (@FactCheckerMoIB) October 18, 2026