Pakistan did not ban 5,000-rupee banknote

"The possession, circulation and use of 5,000-rupee notes will be banned in the entire country from September 30, 2023," says an Urdu-language post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, on September 7.

The post features a screenshot of a document saying the banknote is being banned in order to curb illicit activities, with the header "Government of Pakistan, Finance Division (Internal Finance Wing)" and the government logo.

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A screenshot taken on November 15, 2023 of the false X post.

Similar posts have also been shared on Facebook here, here and here, and on X here and here.

However, the document is fabricated and the claim is false.

'Fake document'

Pakistan's caretaker minister for information Murtaza Solangi said in a post on X on September 7 the document claiming the ban on the 5,000-rupee note is "fake" (archived link)

"A fake notification is being circulated on social media regarding ban on 5,000 rupees currency note from September 30, 2023," Solangi said. "The Govt of Pakistan shall act against the people spreading this kind of fake news to create chaos."

The finance minister also said in a statement on September 7 that "no policy decision or measure has been taken for banning the 5,000 rupees note," according to state media Associated Press of Pakistan (archived link).

The website of the State Bank of Pakistan, the country's central bank, lists the 5,000-rupee banknote as valid currency as of November 20 here (archived link).

The 5,000-rupee note remains in circulation and is accepted by banks and businesses across Pakistan, an AFP journalist in the country confirmed.

Below is a screenshot of a slip for the 5,000-rupee note deposited by the AFP journalist and validated by a bank in Islamabad on November 16:

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Validated deposit slip of a 5,000-rupee banknote

Old claim

The claim has actually been circulating online in Pakistan for years, especially since the Senate passed a non-binding resolution recommending the government to scrap the 5,000-rupee note in 2016.

The recommendation was made to "curb the flow of black money" two months after neighbouring India discontinued 1,000 and 500-rupee notes, local paper Dawn reported. But it was rejected by the government, according to a report from Reuters.

The government already debunked the claim in 2018 and 2019, according to local media.