Since Monday, several users have been circulating a purported gas supply schedule from Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) in various WhatsApp groups. However, SSGC has not issued any such notice and the viral visual is fake.
How it started
On Friday, iVerify Pakistan received an alert from the public information line seeking authentication of an alleged gas supply schedule circulating widely on WhatsApp groups in Karachi.
The person who sent the message said they received an Urdu visual uploaded on WhatsApp and shared a copy with iVerify Pakistan.
The text of the visual read: “According to Sui Gas Company’s schedule, gas would be available from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. »
She further affirmed that the gas supply would remain limited, or even completely suspended, outside of these hours.
The viral image did not explicitly state that the purported calendar was published by the SSGC. It also did not mention that the timetable applied only to Karachi.
It is worth noting that SSGC is the gas utility responsible for supplying natural gas in Sindh and Balochistan. The so-called schedule has therefore raised concerns among the people of Karachi.
Journalist Shahid Hussein also shared the same visual on
The same claim was also shared on YouTube.
Methodology
A fact check was launched to determine the veracity of this claim due to significant public concern over gas supply delays in Karachi.
A keyword search was performed to see if a mainstream media outlet had reported this claim, but returned no results.
Further, no such notification or update has been shared by SSGC on its official website and social media handles such as Facebook And Instagram.
iVerify Pakistan contacted Salman Ahmed Siddiqui, official spokesperson of the SSGC, for comments, who described the claim as “untrue”.
“It is an absolutely false message, because it does not mention Sui Southern; that is why we have not responded to it,” he said.
He further added that nearly 30 such fake posts were being spread on social media accounts to get likes and comments.
“If there is such a notification, we also publish it on our website and share it with print and electronic media.”
Fact Check Status: False
The claim that a viral visual shows a new SSGC gas supply schedule is false.
No such schedule has been released by SSGC.
This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan – a project of CEJ-IBA and UNDP.
