Fact check: Fake webpage impersonating Dawn circulates false report

A webpage impersonating Dawn is currently online and accessible, it emerged on Tuesday. The page has shared fake news and disinformation while pretending to be a part of the Dawn Media Group.

The website is not part of, associated with or has any connection to the Dawn Media Group.

The webpage, operating from the URL https://dawn.newspot.live/news/rpshytr/93282/, has shared a ‘news report’ on Defence Minister Khawaja Asif supposedly criticising the Punjab government over poor governance and rising crime.

The text of the ‘news story’ and the headline do not conform to Dawn’s style guide. Further, the date at the top also says January 5 (Monday), not January 6.

Meanwhile, the main image of the ‘news report’ appears to be AI-generated and an amalgam of different pictures, showing Asif pointing his finger at someone, a man in a black hoodie and a police car.

The image also has text overlaid on top. Dawn does not use images in its news reports with text overlays and clearly states when images have been generated using AI.

However, when one tries to click to another page, it redirects to Dawn’s original site.

When checked through website hosting checkers, it emerged that the imposter site was hosted via US-based Namecheap, Inc.

In October 2025, a supposed news website impersonating Dawn had popped up and shared a false report on PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan allegedly complaining about institutional overreach.