The following report was originally published by AFP Fact Check, a blog that focuses on fact-checking in response to the multiplication of misinformation and disinformation online.

An online report by a Pakistani broadcaster claims that basic food inflation has risen to 20 per cent in Pakistan resulting in “severe consequences” for the country. Official statistics show that food inflation fell in the second half of 2018.

This online report by broadcaster Dunya News TV says: “20 per cent inflation on basic food basket has unfolded miserable consequences for public.”

The report says: “the ‘exponential’ increase in prices of basic kitchen items up to 20pc has pulled severe consequences for the general public.”

The report does not give a source for its figures.

The report also says that the government is set to propose a new budget on January 23, 2019 which it claims will impose new taxes on basic food items, which will likely cause further inflation.

The report was run by other news outlets including the Balochistan Express here and the Frontier Post here.

The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics issued a report on inflation in December last year.

Food inflation in June 2018 was 3pc and in December 2018 it was 0.9pc, according to the report.

Here is a screenshot of the table from the above report. AFP has marked the relevant months and figures.

According to the Asian Development Bank, overall inflation was 3.9pc in Pakistan in 2018.

Minister of State for Revenue Hammad Azhar tweeted that the story was fake and said that food inflation had declined in the country.

"Fake news alert. Food inflation fell from 3% in June 2018 to 0.9% in Dec 2018," Azhar said.