India’s fake news drive against Pakistan resurfaces via BJP media

Islamabad: India’s state-sponsored disinformation campaign against Pakistan has once again come under the spotlight. This renewed propaganda effort is being executed through Indian media channels closely aligned with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), particularly The Sunday Guardian, and involves the disturbing use of wanted terrorist Ehsan Ullah Ehsan as a mouthpiece.

According to credible sources and regional analysts, India’s intelligence agency, RAW, is orchestrating a large-scale disinformation operation aimed at maligning Pakistan internationally. This latest campaign comes in the wake of India’s strategic failures and military humiliation in its recent standoff with Pakistan. The renewed effort appears to be part of a broader strategy to shift global attention and portray Pakistan in a negative light—particularly by linking it to regional instability involving Afghanistan and China.

Terrorist as a “Journalist”: Media Ethics Violated

Ehsan Ullah Ehsan, a notorious terrorist responsible for the heinous APS Peshawar attack that killed over 140 children, is being given a media platform by The Sunday Guardian. The publication, founded by BJP politician M.J. Akbar (who resigned amid sexual misconduct allegations during the #MeToo movement), has consistently published Ehsan’s anti-Pakistan narratives, raising serious questions about journalistic integrity and ethics.

Experts note that the former Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesperson is reportedly being supported by RAW and the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) in Afghanistan. His involvement in pushing fabricated narratives aligns with previous Indian attempts to stage false-flag operations.

Global Exposure of India’s Disinformation Tactics

India’s global disinformation efforts have previously been exposed in detail by the EU DisinfoLab in its 2020 report, which uncovered a vast network of fake NGOs, think tanks, and media outlets dedicated to defaming Pakistan and misleading international institutions. The current propaganda tactics echo the same methods highlighted in that report.

By publishing articles written by a designated terrorist, The Sunday Guardian is engaging in what analysts call “info-ops”—an organized attempt to weaponize information and manipulate public perception.

Pakistan’s Firm Response

Pakistan has repeatedly declared zero tolerance for terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. As a frontline state that has lost over 80,000 lives in the fight against terrorism, Pakistan continues to battle terrorist threats, many of which it believes are supported by Indian intelligence networks operating through proxies in Afghanistan.

In light of the latest media propaganda, Pakistani authorities stress that such false narratives and fabricated stories will not fool the international community. These efforts only further expose the desperation behind India’s attempts to divert attention from its internal failures and aggressive regional posture.

The recent campaign launched through The Sunday Guardian, featuring narratives by Ehsan Ullah Ehsan, not only violates global norms of journalism but also signals India’s increasing reliance on disinformation warfare. With the international community already aware of India’s track record—as shown by the EU DisinfoLab report—this latest effort is likely to further damage New Delhi’s credibility on the global stage.