On Friday evening, a UK-based news channel, Arise News, aired a ticker claiming that Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has tested positive for Coronavirus.
This foreign channel says that Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI tests positive coronavirus. If true it’s really dangerous.What’s happening man ?#Corona pic.twitter.com/KyqQvosjhU
— Azaz Syed (@Ch Fawad HussainAzazSyed) March 27, 2020
Even though the Pakistani PM did not address the claim himself, Fawad Hussain Chaudhry who is Pakistan's federal minister of science and technology, hit back at a journalist who shared the news on Twitter, stressing that Khan was "absolutely fine".
You are a journo not an ordinary troll, all bullshit may not be forwarded without basic query, @ImranKhanPTI is absolutely fine .... https://t.co/HzlKKQgwif
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) March 28, 2020
While Arise News has yet to comment on the uproar, netizens have flooded social media with their concerns over the news, with some saying that Khan should show the test to the media if the report is fake.
Prime Minister should show reports on media if this is fake news.
— Kashif Gill (@KashifG95036572) March 27, 2020
PM Imran Khan tested positive for coronavirus? Is this true? pic.twitter.com/C9cPedbf9y
— Danish Kaleem (@danesh_kaleem) March 27, 2020
Why it’s not on Pakistani media that Imran Khan is also tested positive for #COVID19
— Shama Junejo (@ShamaJunejo) March 27, 2020
This is a #GlobalPandemic and we all have to fight it together. #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/2zQjSsCjGk
Later, Arslan Khalid, who according to his Twitter bio is the “focal person to Prime Minister Khan on digital media” revealed that the English media house had “made a mistake”, while urging people to restrain from further sharing the video clip.
The UK based web channel made a mistake and instead of writing UK Prime minister, they wrote Pakistani Prime minister. It's been rebutted everywhere.Please stop sharing the clip.https://t.co/3OJ55TsqYu
— Dr Arslan Khalid (@arslankhalid_m) March 27, 2020
A statement from Khan on his health status has yet to be received.
Similar reports claiming England’s 93-year-old Queen Elizabeth II has also tested positive for coronavirus began surfacing on social media after her son Prince Charles and Prime Minister Johnson caught the infection.
https://t.co/cfZsX1Z8wl
— 28 Days Later (@VGKnightinArmor) March 27, 2020
The Queen has it...#coronavirus
As soon as the news began shattering social media, Buckingham Palace issued a statement saying Her Royal Majesty, the Queen remains in good health.
Guys！Queen Elizabeth tests NOT positive for Coronavirus! It’s completely fake! Shame on those news websites attracting followers by lies. pic.twitter.com/sT4aTSY1Wn
— Wenny (@Billienicer) March 28, 2020
Since December 2019, the virus has infected over 597,000 people across the globe, resulting in the deaths of over 27,000 real-time statistics platform Worldometer notes.
There are about 1,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and eight deaths in Pakistan, as of Friday.
