The EU Dis InfoLab uncovers its latest investigation into anti-Pakistan-China influence operations by Asian News International (ANI) which continues to push fake narratives against the two countries. The report also follows up on two previous investigations published in 2019 and 2020 and exposed the disinformation and ghost experts, non-existent think tanks, bloggers, and journalists who are regularly quoted by Asian News International (ANI) as a source of their news.

The EU Dis InfoLab uncovers its latest investigation into anti-Pakistan-China influence operations by Asian News International (ANI) which continues to push fake narratives against the two countries.

The latest investigation revealed that ANI had been repeatedly quoting a think tank that was dissolved in 2014, using quotes from a journalist, as well as from several bloggers and supposed geopolitical experts, who do not exist. The report asserts that the reference to the same think tank was quoted about twice a week by ANI. The think tank’s website also falsely mentions real Canadian university professors as participants in a conference that they never attended, quoting false statements by associating them with these academics.

ANI is an Indian news agency that plays a major role in the country’s information network, providing content for many well-established media across India, such as The Print and Business Standard. ANI’s articles are also reproduced on well-known digital portals such as Yahoo News. With this network, ANI is a source of news to millions of Indians as well as a larger global audience.

ANI is an Indian news agency that plays a major role in the country’s information network, providing content for many well-established media across India, such as The Print and Business Standard.

The news agency has been criticized for having served as a propaganda tool for the incumbent central government, distributing materials from a vast network of fake news websites, and misreporting events. At the same time, ANI has been accused of practicing an aggressive model of journalism focused on maximum revenue output, which journalists were easily dispensable. Multiple employees have accused ANI of not having any human resource management system and of ill-treating their ex-employees.

The news agency has been criticized for having served as a propaganda tool for the incumbent central government, distributing materials from a vast network of fake news websites, and misreporting events. At the same time, ANI has been accused of practicing an aggressive model of journalism.

It is worth adding that ANI had previously been accused of reporting the Indian government’s ‘version of the truth’ by the independent magazine The Caravan. Moreover, two previous EU Dis InfoLab investigations have revealed that ANI regularly quoted the non-operational fake media outlets ‘EP Today’ and ‘EU Chronicles’, supposedly specializing in EU affairs that were, in fact, created to push anti-Pakistan-China narratives not only in India but globally damage the reputation of two countries.

EU Dis InfoLab investigations have revealed that ANI regularly quoted the non-operational fake media outlets ‘EP Today’ and ‘EU Chronicles’, supposedly specializing in EU affairs that were, in fact, created to push anti-Pakistan-China narratives not only in India but globally damage the reputation of two countries.

Such irresponsible reporting is a blatant violation of the Charter of Munich 1971 which clearly lay down the rights and duties for responsible journalism. News items that are intentionally fabricated are termed as fake news in the strict sense and fake news is widely considered a substantial security threat, in particular, if it is state-sponsored. Such propaganda techniques can be characterized as part of larger Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval’s doctrine aimed to instigate hybrid warfare against Pakistan.

Consisting of five wide-ranging elements, hybrid warfare starts with media propaganda and the use of the subject of mass communication for media propaganda. It uses disinformation, fake news, defamation of the government, political leaders, armed forces, judiciary, intervention in foreign electoral systems, and flawed diplomacy. Then comes cyber warfare hacking and manipulation of data. Economic coercion and sabotage, as well as subversive activities, are also a part of the grey hybrid spectrum.

Pakistan has been facing an accelerated hybrid war for the last decade which reached its tipping point in the last four years. All the five elements of hybrid war have been unleashed on Pakistan for the last several years however propaganda tools in form of fake news and disinformation are at the heart of the issue. Hybrid warfare is a battle of information, narratives, perceptions, and postmodern technology, since conventional methods of war have become less relevant after the introduction of nuclear weapons in the sub-continent, India has been using Hybrid Warfare and 5GW tactics to create destabilization in Pakistan.

Subversive activities, are a part of the grey hybrid spectrum. Pakistan has been facing an accelerated hybrid war for the last decade which reached its tipping point in the last four years. All the five elements of hybrid war have been unleashed on Pakistan for the last several years however propaganda tools in form of fake news and disinformation are at the heart of the issue.

To pursue its hegemonic ambitions and strategic interests, India makes use of propaganda, media, proxy wars, and sponsors’ militancy in order to disrupt the sociopolitical and ethno-nationalistic structure of Pakistan. It is high time that Pakistan adopts innovative strategies for mitigating the challenges imposed by the war of narratives. The counter-threat response to hybrid warfare requires the installation of a strategy that encompasses and unites all institutions of the state at a single platform and unites the diverse political parties and religious factions in the state. This response should be capable enough to identify propaganda and dissemination of fake news on media and cyberspace and should be dealt with as an area where a whole-of-nation approach is required to neutralize threats.