Posts by Indian accounts on social media platform X have been sharing an alleged confidential notification from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) about Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s hospitalisation since April 27. However, no such notification has been released by the PM Office and it is fake.
Relations between Pakistan and India have turned exceedingly sour since an attack took place in Pahalgam, a tourist hotspot in India-occupied Kashmir that draws thousands of visitors every summer, on April 22. Gunmen opened fire on visitors, killing at least 26 people — all men from across India except one from Nepal — and injuring 17 others. Following the attack, India, without providing evidence, implied that attackers had links to Pakistan, an allegation that Islamabad has vehemently refuted.
The incident led to a severe downgrading of ties between the two countries. Since then, the Indian mainstream and social media outlets have been spreading propaganda against Pakistan.
Following the same trend, an Indian X account on Monday (https://perma.cc/4UAD-6PVZ) shared a notification claiming that PM Shehbaz was hospitalised at Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Rawalpindi.
The post of the caption said: “Big, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif hospitalised.”
The text of the alleged notification is reproduced below:
“Subject: Confidential — Hospitalisation of the honourable prime minister at CMH Rawalpindi.
It is hereby informed, in confidence, that the honourable prime minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan was admitted to Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Rawalpindi on April 27, 2025, for medical evaluation and treatment related to a case of haemorrhoids.
The prime minister remains under the expert care of a specialised medical team at CMH. As of the latest update, his health condition is stable, and he is responding well to the prescribed course of treatment. The hospitalisation has been undertaken as a precautionary and standard medical measure advised by his attending physicians.
All concerned offices are advised to maintain strict confidentiality of this information. No disclosure to media or public forums is permitted unless officially authorised by the Prime Minister’s Office Media Wing or the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
This communication is issued with approval of the undersigned and is intended strictly for internal coordination among relevant departments.“
The document was signed off by Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Asad Rehman Gilani.
The post garnered more than 171,000 views.
The same claim was also shared by other Indian accounts, as can be seen here and here with over 764,000 and 74,000 views, respectively.
A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality, keen public interest in the events unfolding between India and Pakistan in the wake of the recent Pahalgam attack and the sensitivity of the matter as it directly involved the premier’s health.
The notification mentioned Asad Rehman Gilani as the principal secretary to the prime minister. However, a keyword search yielded a news report of Dawn dated March 18, 2025, which confirmed that Gilani had already been transferred from the position and that the post had since been abolished.
An official at the PMO also told Dawn correspondent Sanaullah Khan that the viral notification was a fake.
Additionally, no media reports were found indicating any recent health concerns or issues about PM Shehbaz or his hospitalisation.
On the contrary, PM Shehbaz was actively involved in official duties, including attending the Council of Common Interests meeting on April 28 — the same day the fake notification began circulating on social media.
Therefore, the fact-check determined that the claim regarding a notification from the PMO about PM Shehbaz’s hospitalisation at CMH Rawalpindi is false. The viral notification is fake and the prime minister has been performing his duties as per normal.
This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan — a project of CEJ-IBA and UNDP.
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