India’s history of disinformation campaigns against Pakistan has long been a tool to malign its neighbor, with the 2020 EU DisinfoLab report exposing the depth of such sinister operations. Once again, the Indian state, through its intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has launched a renewed disinformation campaign. This time, it leverages mouthpiece media outlets like The Sunday Guardian and notorious terrorist proxies, such as Ehsanullah Ehsan, to propagate anti-Pakistan narratives. This campaign follows India’s recent military and diplomatic setbacks against Pakistan, revealing a desperate attempt to manipulate global perceptions.
The Sunday Guardian’s Role in Anti-Pakistan Propaganda
The Sunday Guardian, a media outlet closely aligned with India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has become a central platform for this disinformation campaign. Since 2020, it has repeatedly published articles authored by Ehsanullah Ehsan, a known terrorist responsible for heinous acts, including the 2014 Army Public School (APS) attack in Peshawar, which claimed the lives of innocent children. Providing a terrorist with a platform to publish articles violates journalistic ethics and exposes the outlet’s agenda.
Ehsanullah Ehsan, reportedly under the patronage of India’s intelligence apparatus, is being used to peddle anti-Pakistan propaganda and orchestrate false flag operations. His articles in The Sunday Guardian attempt to falsely implicate Pakistan in destabilizing activities involving Afghanistan and China, stretching credibility to absurd lengths. Counter-terrorism experts widely acknowledge that Ehsanullah is operating under RAW’s payroll, enjoying safe haven while serving as a propagandist masquerading as an author.
Who Controls The Sunday Guardian?
The Sunday Guardian was founded by M.J. Akbar, a former BJP politician and minister who resigned in 2018 amid multiple sexual harassment allegations during India’s #MeToo movement. The outlet is a mouthpiece for the BJP and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), both of which have consistently pursued anti-Pakistan agendas. The newspaper’s role in this campaign is a calculated effort to deflect attention from India’s recent humiliations, particularly in military standoffs with Pakistan, by weaponizing counter-terrorism narratives to mislead the international community.
The Broader Indian Disinformation Ecosystem
The 2020 EU DisinfoLab report meticulously documented India’s global disinformation network, which operated through fake media outlets, NGOs, and think tanks to tarnish Pakistan’s image. The current campaign through The Sunday Guardian is a continuation of these tactics, now amplified by providing a platform to a terrorist like Ehsanullah Ehsan. This move underscores India’s desperation, as it resorts to using individuals responsible for atrocities to further its propaganda.
The publication of Ehsanullah’s articles is not an isolated act but part of a broader strategy involving RAW and its Afghan connections to destabilize Pakistan. By amplifying false narratives, India seeks to obscure its own failures and aggressive posturing, which have been rejected by the global community.
Pakistan’s Stance Against Terrorism
Pakistan has consistently demonstrated a zero-tolerance policy toward terrorism in all its forms. As a victim of terrorism, the country has faced immense challenges, including a recent resurgence of terrorist activities orchestrated by external actors like RAW. Pakistan’s armed forces and state institutions are combating these threats with unwavering resolve. The use of fabricated stories and terrorist proxies by India will not deceive the international community, which is increasingly aware of India’s disinformation tactics.
India’s latest disinformation campaign, executed through The Sunday Guardian and terrorist proxies like Ehsanullah Ehsan, is a desperate attempt to malign Pakistan after recent setbacks. By providing a platform to a terrorist, India exposes the depths of its propaganda machinery, as previously revealed by the EU DisinfoLab. Pakistan remains steadfast in its fight against terrorism and will continue to counter such malicious campaigns with resilience and truth. The international community must recognize these tactics for what they are: a deliberate effort to mislead and destabilize through falsehoods and unethical alliances.
