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| - Fact Check: Dimmed by misinformation! Burj Khalifa displayed Pak flag on August 14, just not at midnight
Many wrongly claimed that the Pakistani flag was not displayed on the Dubai skyscraper on the country's Independence Day.
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India Today Fact Check
The Pakistani flag was indeed projected onto the Burj Khalifa. But the projection did not take place at midnight. Instead, it happened on the evening of August 14.
Both India and Pakistan celebrated their independence from British colonial rule this week. The iconic Burj Khalifa in Dubai has been known to illuminate its facade with the colours of various countries' flags to honour their respective Independence Days.
This year, however, several social media posts and even media reports claimed that the Burj Khalifa did not display the Pakistani flag to mark its Independence Day on August 14
One person sharing a video of the Indian flag projected onto the tower, tweeted, “After disappointing Pakistan for not putting their flag on Burj Khalifa on Pakistan Independence Day it is lit with Tricolour. Same history same struggle but it's what INDIA chose to be post-1947 that made all the Difference.” The archived version of one such post can be seen here.
India Today, however, found that both the Indian and Pakistani flags were projected onto the building on their respective Independence Days. The confusion arose due to a false alarm caused by Pakistani nationals gathering near the tower on August 14 at midnight, hoping to see their flag displayed. The flag was actually projected later, on the evening of August 14.
Our Probe
A keyword search revealed media reports claiming that the Pakistani flag was not projected on the building at midnight. These reports cited a tweet featuring a video from an alleged Pakistani national expressing disappointment over the absence of Pakistani colours on the Burj Khalifa.
The woman recording the video could be heard saying, "The time is 12:01 am now and the Dubai officials have informed that Pakistan's national flag won't be displayed on Burj Khalifa.”
Further searches, however, led to other media reports showcasing the tower lit up in the Pakistani flag’s colours.
The Burj Khalifa's official Instagram account also posted a video the Pakistani flag projected onto the tower. The caption read, “Burj Khalifa lights up to celebrate The Islamic Republic of Pakistan’s Independence Day. Wishing the people of Pakistan a day filled with pride, unity, and prosperity as you celebrate the rich heritage and achievements of your great nation. May the future hold even greater success and happiness for all Pakistanis. Happy Independence Day!"
However, The congratulatory message projected on the Burj Khalifa for Pakistan, stating "Happy 76th Independence Day of Pakistan", triggered doubts about the video's timing. Responding to an Instagram user’s doubt, the Burj Khalifa account clarified that the Pakistani flag was displayed at 7:50 PM on August 14 this year.
Pakistan and India celebrate their Independence Days on August 14 and August 15 respectively. In 2023, both countries observed their 77th Independence Days. Simply, it’s a semantic choice to call it 77th or 76th. This year, it was the 77th Independence Day in both countries. However, in terms of anniversaries, it is the 76th.
In previous years, the Pakistani flag projection on the Burj Khalifa has usually been carried out at midnight. The delay this year thus led to misinformation about the flag not being displayed there at all.
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