Fact-check: #WaqarZakaWas(Not)Right

Pakistan’s biggest advocate of cryptocurrency, Waqar Zaka, claimed had the government listened to his idea in 2016, the country would have paid its debt by now. The TV show host-cum-social media star wanted the government to invest in bitcoin (when it was worth $268 a unit) and legalize the cryptocurrency in Pakistan. He pointed to the skyrocketing of bitcoin price ($26,390 a unit) in a December 2020 video, saying that he was right. A disappointed Zaka asked his followers to start the #WaqarZakaWasRight trend and tag politicians who didn’t listen to him. Within hours, it was among the top three trends on Twitter. In this video, SAMAA Money puts his theory to test to find out if it was a populist statement or one supported by maths.