In the world of our newsrooms and in your life on WhatsApp, the notification reigns supreme. It is the equivalent of the Mughal Shahnama in modern day Pakistan. The rulers speak through notifications. However, more often than not, you simply can’t tell if a notification actually came from the Government.

This is what happened on Thursday when a “notification” supposedly Issued by the Sindh Government began circulating on social media. It said that the government had extended winter vacations for schools to January 31. It was banning gatherings, indoor dining and wedding ceremonies. 

It was quickly established, through a few phone calls, that the notification was fake. Even the Sindh government issued a clarification that no such notification had been issued. 

At first glance, nothing about the notification appeared suspicious. But a closer looked revealed some inaccuracies. 

SAMAA Digital reached out to Zaki Khalid who is a Rawalpindi-based Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) specialist on how a fake notification can be identified. 

Khalid pointed out that the notification we received was a “poor replica” of a notification issued by the provincial government on March 14, 2020. The forger changed the diary number and date of the notification to January 7, 2022. Take a look and compare below:

The diary numbers can be seen at the top of a notification. 

According to Khalid, there are some clear errors in the doctored version. First, the font of “January” in the point (i) is inconsistent with the font in which the original notification is typed. 

Secondly, a full stop or period is missing at the end of point (i). The forger might have forgotten to add a full stop after editing the date.  

Khalid pointed out other glaring discrepancies in the forged document. It says that the, “PSL matches will be played without crowds.” However, no PSL matches are taking place currently. 

PSL matches were indeed being held at the National Stadium in Karachi when the original notification was issued in March 2020. 

It says that, “examinations being conducted shall be rescheduled.” But no examinations are being held in the province. 

Khalid said these errors are a clear indication that the notification is fake.