Pakistan urges UN, EU to investigate India-linked disinformation campaign

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi arrives to address the United Nations Human Rights Council on September 10, 2019 in Geneva. (AFP/File)

• 15-year-long operation’s mission was to discredit nations in conflict with India in Asia, in particular Pakistan, EU DisinfoLab says
• More than 750 fake media outlets, covering 119 countries and over 550 registered domain names used in the operation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign minister on Friday urged the United Nations to investigate a vast 15-year-long global disinformation campaign to undermine Pakistan and serve Indian interests that has been exposed this week by EU DisinfoLab.
EU DisinfoLab, an independent non-profit focused on tackling disinformation campaigns targeting the EU and its member states, says the network it has exposed was designed primarily to “discredit Pakistan internationally” and influence decision-making at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and European Parliament.
Last year, EU DisinfoLab uncovered a network of 265 fake media in 65 countries reproducing “negative content” about Pakistan online. The network was created by actors behind “EP Today”, a fake European Parliament magazine active in Brussels since 2006.
Wednesday’s report, titled Indian Chronicles, revealed that the operation was spread over at least 116 countries and had targeted members of the European Parliament and the United Nations.
“We urge the UN human rights machinery ... the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights ... as well as human rights experts to take a serious look as to how a prestigious platform such as the human rights council was thus misused,” Shah Mahmood Qureshi said at a press conference.
In a nutshell, EU DisinfoLab has said the 15 year-long operation running since 2005 had resurrected more than ten UN Human Rights Council accredited NGOs; resurrected Prof. Louis B. Sohn, a prominent figure in human rights who died in 2006; carried out several instances of identity thefts; and used more than 750 fake media outlets, covering 119 countries; and over 550 registered domain names.
EU DisinfoLab did not say if the operation had official complicity of the Indian government.
“Our open-source investigation shows that the operation led by the Srivastava Group and amplified by ANI [Indian news agency] began in 2005 and is still ongoing at this date,” EU DisinfoLab said. “The operation’s mission is to discredit nations in conflict with India in Asia, in particular Pakistan but also China to a lesser extent.”
The Pakistani foreign minister said that it was necessary that government-owned and sponsored organizations were scrutinized and denied UN platforms if they are were found “spreading fake news and hate.”
Qureshi said the disinformation network had manipulated EU parliamentarians and abused the legal institution by using the EU letterhead.
“We also urge EU authorities to take notice of this massive campaign against Pakistan and not let their legal institutions and frameworks be abused in such a blatant manner,” the foreign minister said. “Additionally, we call on the EU parliament to begin a credible investigation into the manipulation of the EU parliament and its legislative process by these fake organizations involved in anti-Pakistan propaganda.”