ISLAMABAD – A photo that has been shared thousands of times on Facebookappears to show three of the world’s top footballers handing PakistaniPrime Minister Imran Khan a large cheque, purportedly to help build two newhydroelectric dams. The claim is false and the image has been doctored froman original photograph posted on Khan’s official Twitter account.
The photograph has been repeatedly posted on Facebook, for example *herelink it has been shared more than 1,000 timessince it was published January 25, 2019.
The *post’s link* caption says: “The great players ofthe football world present a blank cheque to Prime Minister Imran Khan fordam fund and express nobel wishes for Pakistan.”
The *fund link* seeking donations tobuild two dams in Pakistan was set up in July 2018 and has been promoted byPrime Minister Imran Khan, for example *herelink* onhis party s official Twitter feed.
The image appears to show three famous football players, Cristiano Ronaldo,Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr posing for a photo while handing over a largecheque to Khan.
But the photo has been doctored from an original, which was *postedlink* on Khan’s officialtwitter account on December 31, 2018.——————————View image on Twitterlink[image: View image on Twitter]link
linkPrime Minister’s Office, Pakistan@PakPMOlinklink
PM Imran Khan has appreciated generous contribution and donations of theoverseas Pakistanis in Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand Dams fund.
Read Top Stories
He was talking to a delegation of overseas Pakistanis from Dubai, whocalled on him in Islamabad and presented a cheque of $918,510 for #DamFundlink6:45 PM – Dec 31, 2018link
– 1,241 link – 255 people are talking about this link
Twitter Ads info and privacy link——————————
The original photo shows a delegation of expatriate Pakistanis from Dubaipresenting a contribution for the dam fund.
The tweet says: “PM Imran Khan has appreciated generous contribution anddonations of the overseas Pakistanis in Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand Damsfund. He was talking to a delegation of overseas Pakistanis from Dubai, whocalled on him in Islamabad and presented a cheque of $918,510 for #DamFund.”
The image was also published by the state-run Associated Press of Pakistanand can be seen on their website *herelink*.- APP/AFP
