ADB punctures Indian media malice

MILAN (Italy): In an age when fake news is often pushed out with relish and religious fervour, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has categorically debunked the vicious anti-Pakistan propaganda by India’s leading media outlets that often project themselves as mainstream and responsible.

Ironically, the Indian finance ministry kept mum and did not counter the vitriol until it became necessary to puncture the incessant agitprop once it was plainly refuted by the Bank.

A statement shared by David Kruger, from the Bank’s media team, said the ADB was aware of media reports claiming that issues related to Pakistan were discussed during a bilateral meeting between the Bank’s President Masato Kanda and Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the sidelines of the ongoing 58th annual meeting. “These media reports are incorrect. Issues related to Pakistan were not discussed during the bilateral [with India] meeting.”

Apparently, the fake news was pushed into the news cycle by the 54-year-old Asian News International (ANI) that claims to be India’s largest newswire service.

As per Wikipedia, The Caravan – a long-form narrative journalism magazine and The Ken – a Bangalore-based business news website have criticised ANI in the past for its close ties with the Indian government, especially the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Six years ago, The Caravan had reported that the ANI “has a disturbing history of producing blatant propaganda for the state.”

On Monday, India’s leading news network, CNN-News18, that is co-owned by India’s Network18 Group and Warner Bros, Discovery, hyperventilated in primetime news bulletins that “India has stepped up its efforts to diplomatically and economically isolate Pakistan…In a high-level push to curb Pakistan’s access to international finance, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Monday urged the Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masatsugu Asakawa in Milan to suspend all funding to Islamabad, according to sources cited by ANI.”

Sadly, the channel that describes itself to be a “trusted source” did not bother to verify who currently heads the Mandaluyong-based multilateral development bank. Japan’s Masatsugu Asakawa headed the ADB from January 17, 2020 till February 24, 2025. President Kanda replaced him in February after being elected to the position in November 2024.

The news channel went on to claim that “India is also preparing to raise objections to Pakistan’s upcoming bailout review by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), scheduled for May 9. According to the IMF’s website, the board will assess Pakistan’s financial assistance package during its upcoming meeting.”

One hopes, the claim does not face the fate of its reporting on the ADB-India meeting, said an insider.

The Indian media was forced to come to senses after ADB’s clear position and tried to help the Indian finance ministry salvage the situation. Hours after the news had already spread all over India and elsewhere – probably providing momentary elation to BJP zealots – India’s NDTV reported that the finance ministry this evening denied media reports claiming that Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman discussed issues related to Pakistan with ADB chief Masato Kanda, and her Italian counterpart Giancarlo Giorgetti. “It is clarified that this is not true and has no basis in fact,” the channel quoted the ministry as saying.

Incidentally, citing “sources” some Pakistani news outlets have also run the ANI story. “The unfortunate situation once again supports the idea that both India and Pakistan should allow correspondents from credible news organisations to be based in each other’s capitals so that reliable and factual reporting is made possible. It is also suggested that these journalists are afforded crucial access to government spokespersons to avoid misunderstanding and missteps,” said a source involved in the Track 2 process between the two South Asian nuclear-armed neighbours.