EU DisinfoLab disclosures: India neither responsible nor democratic state, says FO

ISLAMABAD: Surprised at the Indian reaction to the EU DisinfoLab disclosures, Pakistan Saturday said the tall claims made by the Indian Minister for External Affairs (MEA) had no leg to stand upon.

“We reject MEA’s attempt to deny responsibility for an elaborate and reprehensible global disinformation campaign against Pakistan exposed by EU DisinfoLab. The latest developments and international exposés have clearly shown that India is neither ‘responsible’ nor a ‘democracy,” responded the Foreign Office.

The independent, non-profit disinformation watchdog’s latest report illustrates in graphic detail a web of more than 750 media in 116 countries; over 550 website domain names registered; resurrection of dead people; impersonation of EU institutions and direct control of more than 10 NGOs accredited to the UN Human Rights Council, utilized for the purpose of pushing fake news and false Indian propaganda against Pakistan since 2005. The Foreign Office pointed out that the latest revelations had established that no amount of Indian falsehoods could succeed in diverting the world attention from India’s unspeakable crimes in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K) and in misleading the world community.

“Countering India’s state-terrorism and exposing its false narratives, Pakistan remains fully committed to supporting the Kashmiris in their legitimate struggle for the right to self-determination as per the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions. We have already shared extensive and irrefutable evidence of India’s active planning, promoting, aiding, abetting, financing and executing terrorist activities in Pakistan,” said the Foreign Office.

“The report by EU DisinfoLab goes to further corroborate our long-held position about India’s incurable obsession with Pakistan and its unrelenting smear campaign against Pakistan,” added the Foreign Office.

It urged the UN Human Rights machinery, particularly the Human Rights Council (HRC), to take a serious look at how a prestigious platform such as the HRC could be misused in such a manner against a member state.

“The relevant authorities in Switzerland and Belgium must investigate the finances and transparency of the relevant NGOs registered within their jurisdiction”, demanded the Foreign Office.

The Foreign Office also reiterated its call that the EU authorities take full cognizance of this massive disinformation campaign against Pakistan and initiate steps to hold accountable those who misused their procedures and abused the European institutions.

For far too long, India has masqueraded itself as a ‘victim’ of terrorism. It is time that the world saw the reality of India as a state-sponsor of terrorism and a purveyor of anti-Pakistan propaganda globally, says the Foreign Office.

Meanwhile, on the issue of expenditure exemption granted by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) 1267 Sanctions Committee to Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, the Foreign Office called on the UNSC member states to take notice of the breach of confidentiality of the Committee’s proceedings and records and their malicious use by the Indian media.

“Such irresponsible attitude not only reflects blatant disregard of the procedures of UN Security Council, it is also a mockery and violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

Lakhvi, an UN-designated individual, was given exemption in line with the established procedures and practices of the Committee.

The spokesperson expressed disappointment that a certain section of the Indian media was unnecessarily politicising this issue to cast negative aspersions on Pakistan’s efforts to implement its obligations under the UN sanctions regime.