The Asian News International (ANI) and Reuters, which had partnered to expand video and news content globally, especially the South Asian market, have been spreading disinformation by Indian government throughout the world.
India’s press agency, ANI, has been involved in extensive coverage of material from the disinformation network, a report by European non-government organisation EU DisinfoLab revealed. The report highlighted a network of hundreds of fake media outlets and organisations that it said have pushed a pro-India agenda in the European Union (EU) and United Nations (UN) bodies to discredit the country’s rivals, in particular Pakistan.
As per details, both news agencies struck an agreement back in 2018, covering the distribution of ANI video content internationally and the distribution of Reuters services in the Indian market.
Pakistan, on several occasions, had accused India of funding a long running disinformation campaign against it through fake news websites, including the ANI and said it would raise the matter in global forums.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi stated that India is manipulating and misusing the international system for its own nefarious designs through different news agencies, especially the ANI.
He also asked the European Union Parliament to begin an investigation into the manipulation of the body and its legislative process by fake organisations involved in anti-Pakistan propaganda under a fully funded disinformation and influence operation, run by India.
UNHRC spokesman Rolando Gomez said the organization has investigated the particular claims and is aware that many accredited groups are pursuing their own political agenda or government political agenda.
India has been actively involved in faking news against Pakistan to promote its Hindutva ideology and divert attention from its internal affairs. In recent days, several Indian media outlets started an anti-Pakistan propaganda on Twitter and other social media platforms to damage its image globally. However, India deliberately failed in its evil designs after it came to light that India used its fake news agencies to spread such rumours.
President Dr. Arif Alvi said that running its anti-Pakistan propaganda set ups through front companies, India banked on fake news for the real new being bad.
He said the vast pro-India, anti-Pakistan, fake news and disinformation set up existed since 2005. It had grown vast with 750 media outlets despite exposure last year.
According to Disinfo Lab report, a dead professor and numerous defunct organisations were resurrected and used alongside at least 750 fake media outlets in a vast 15-year global disinformation campaign to serve Indian interests.
The article was originally posted in Business Recorder https://www.brecorder.com/news/40040451/ani-reuters-partner-to-spread-indian-govts-propaganda-disinformation-material-globally
