It appears that India’s disinformation campaign is once again working against Pakistan. In the latest attack, Indian media is spreading the propaganda that Pakistan may soon enter the blacklist of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Important to note, the claims come ahead of the global anti-terrorist financing and anti-money laundering watchdog’s Plenary and Working Group Meetings in Paris.
To clarify, an Indian-based virtual think tank Global Strat View published an analytical piece titled “Pakistan Should Be Blacklisted for Failing to Rein In Terror Activities.”
The report said the Pakistani government “failed to take action against terror organisations”. It also mentioned that the government was “capitulating” before the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). According to the article, such moves are “strong signals” that FATF can place Pakistan on the ‘black list’.
Read more: India raids Jamaat-e-Islami for terror finance but FATF silent?
Needless to say, the Indian media outlet ANI picked the article and reported it as news. Ever since, multiple Indian media outlets reported the news while quoting the same article. Important to note, the original article does not provide any official sources.
India’s disinfo campaign against Pakistan
However, since the reports emerged, analysts called out Indian media for presenting the article as news. Social media users and analysts called the reports absurd and propaganda. In fact, a complete breakdown of how the Indian disinformation campaign works is making the rounds on Twitter.
Dr. Claude Rakisits, a South Asian and the Middle East strategic analyst, said Pakistan is more likely to be taken off FATF’s grey list than being downgraded to the blacklist.
.@HNadim87 is absolutely right! One thing is certain: #Pakistan is more likely to be taken off #FATF’s “Grey list” than being downgraded to the “Black list” at the next meeting. https://t.co/QTf8bQKseC
— Dr Claude Rakisits (@ClaudeRakisits) February 17, 2022
Furthermore, a South Asian policy expert, Michael Kugelman, took to Twitter and asked readers not to “believe Indian press reports claiming FATF will soon blacklist Pakistan.”
“Don’t believe Indian press reports claiming FATF will soon blacklist Pakistan. The reasons cited (Pakistan caving to TTP, seeking funding for Taliban govt) are irrelevant because they don’t relate to Pakistan’s FATF action plan. It may stay graylisted. No reason to expect blacklist,” Michael Kugelman.
I was in jail with several members of the TTP who were running from the Pak army in Afghanistan and almost all of them said they were funded, armed and housed in Afghanistan by the Indians and Afghan authorities. They even had Afghan refuge cards. FATF should blacklist India
— Shahbaz Taseer (@ShahbazTaseer) February 17, 2022
Interestingly, Shahbaz Taseer, son of former governor of Punjab Salman Taseer, stated that FATF should blacklist India since India finances terrorists. He recalled his years in captivity and what his fellow jail mates told him about India.
“I was in jail with several members of TTP who were running from the Pak Army and almost all of them said they were funded, armed, and housed in Afghanistan by the Indians and Afghan authorities. They even had Afghan refuge cards. FATF should blacklist India,” Shahbaz Taseer commented.
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