RAWALPINDI – Reports of the death of a Pakistan Army officer during a Pakistan-Sri Lanka cricket match at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium went viral online, and it prompted reponse from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting MoIB.
According to ministry’s fact-check, the deceased was not a Pakistan Army officer but a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) employee who died from electrocution at his home, with no connection to the match.
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting ruled out social media claims that an Army officer died of a heart attack during the Pakistan-Sri Lanka cricket match at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, clarifying that Muhammad Farooq was not present at the stadium during the match and had no connection with the event. The clarification contradicts claims circulated on social media suggesting that an Army officer suffered a medical emergency during the match and later died at a hospital.
Journalist Naveed Satti reportedly claimed that 50-year-old Muhammad Farooq, son of Muhammad Azam, lost consciousness during the Pakistan-Sri Lanka match and was transported to Benazir Bhutto Hospital in Rawalpindi by Rescue 1122, where he subsequently died. The journalist further claimed that Farooq was working with Pakistan Army and was posted at a security agency in Islamabad.
According to the ministry’s fact-check and the First Information Report (FIR) shared with its statement, Farooq was approximately 60 years old and died after suffering an electric shock while checking an electrical plug at his home. After the incident, his family contacted Rescue 1122, and he was shifted to a local hospital. Hospital records reportedly identified electrocution as the cause of death.
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The ministry further clarified that the deceased was a PCB employee, not a member of the Pakistan Army. It also stated that he was not present at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium during the match. The discrepancy between the age cited in the journalist’s claim and the age mentioned in the FIR is another detail that distinguishes the two accounts.
Authorities urged the public to verify information through credible sources before sharing reports of deaths, emergencies or other sensitive incidents on social media.
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