Starlink, the satellite internet service, is now present in 100 countries, as confirmed by Elon Musk in June this year with Sierra Leone in Africa becoming the 100th country to join the list. However, some users on X have claimed that Pakistan is in talks to launch Starlink in their country. Verified user and frequent fake news peddler on X, Asad Nasir shared a claim stating, ” BREAKING NEWS:- Pakistan is in talks with Elon Musk’s Starlink to bring satellite internet to the country.”
Link
Another frequent fake news peddler Mario Nawfal has also shared a similar claim. His posts read as,” PAKISTAN IN TALKS WITH STARLINK TO BOOST INTERNET INFRASTRUCTURE Pakistan’s Minister of telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja revealed discussions with Starlink to enhance connectivity, alongside plans to auction the 5G spectrum in April 2024.”
Fact Check
On investigation, we found the claim to be false. No official announcements were found on either Elon Musk or #Starlink . Also, we looked for official accounts of the Ministry of IT and Communications of Pakistan along with Minister of State for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja’s official X account but no such announcement of any talks with Starlink was found.
Furthermore, X has been officially banned in Pakistan, as confirmed by Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar. Ina news report by The Dawn mentioned that Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that social media platform X has been banned due to national security issues, not to curb freedom of expression.
Conclusion
The claim that Pakistan is in talks with Elon Musk’s Starlink to bring satellite internet to the country is false. There is no evidence of official announcements from either Starlink or relevant Pakistani authorities. Moreover, the ban on X in Pakistan further contradicts this claim.
DFRAC Analysis: False
