Fact-checker says man was PCB employee who died of electrocution, was not involved in match
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s fact-checker early Monday morning rejected claims that a Pakistan Army officer had died of a heart attack during the Pakistan-Sri Lanka cricket match at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, saying the deceased was a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) employee who died of electrocution.
In a post on X, the ministry said the individual was not present at the stadium during the match and had no involvement in the event.
The claim was shared by journalist Naveed Satti, who said 50-year-old Muhammad Farooq, son of Muhammad Azam, had fallen unconscious during the match and was taken to Benazir Bhutto Hospital through Rescue 1122, where he could not survive. The post further claimed that Farooq was affiliated with the Pakistan Army and was posted at a security agency in Islamabad.
However, according to the FIR attached to the ministry’s fact-check, Farooq, aged around 60, died after suffering an electric shock while checking an electrical plug at his home. The report stated that his body was at Benazir Bhutto Hospital in Rawalpindi.
“He suffered electric shock following which his family contacted Rescue 1122 and he was shifted to local hospital,” the ministry said in its post, adding that he was not affiliated with the Pakistan Army but was actually a PCB employee.
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The fact-checker added that hospital records had identified the cause of death as “electrocution” and that further inquiry would proceed in accordance with the relevant procedure.
“Linking this medical emergency to the cricket match is misleading,” the ministry said, adding 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 facts before sharing misleading claims.
The match in question was the opening fixture of a seven-match ODI tri-series featuring Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England, which began at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on October 18. Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by 37 runs, with Salman Ali Agha scoring 107 off 90 balls as the hosts posted 305 before bowling out the visitors for 268. The series is being held in Rawalpindi and Lahore as part of preparations for the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup
