ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday once again called on the international community to be wary of India’s sinister design to malign Pakistan and hold it accountable for its “reprehensible deeds”.

He was speaking at a seminar hosted by the Institute of Regional Studies on the well-known EU DisinfoLab Report.

Read: Indian network lobbying against Pakistan exposed

“We call upon the international community to stop the fascist regime of Narendra Modi from its state-sponsored terrorism and disinformation campaign against Pakistan,” Mr Qureshi said.

A study by the EU DisinfoLab titled “Indian Chronicles — Deep dive into a 15-year operation targeting the EU and UN to serve Indian interests” had in 2019 exposed an Indian propaganda operation targeting international institutions for furthering its strategic interests while maligning Pakistan.

Minister says Indian Chronicles have revealed the country’s real face

Another report launched by EU DisinfoLab last December revealed that much of the Indian network was still not only intact, but had also expanded its reach.

The Indian operation has been continuing since 2005. It involves more than 10 NGOs accredited to the UN Human Rights Council, several think tanks, about 750 fake media platforms in 116 countries, over 550 registered domain names, and impersonation of EU institutions.

“Indian Chronicles have revealed the real face of India and its hate for Pakistan,” Mr Qureshi said. The foreign minister recalled the steps taken by the government to emphasise on the international community to take note of India’s ‘systematic designs’ to tarnish Pakistan’s image and undermine its international standing.

He said that he had written to the EU High Representative Josep Borrell, asking him to make India accountable for its deeds. Moreover, he said, Pakistan’s envoy in Brussels had engaged with the members of European Parliament and European institutions to sensitise them about the matter.

Permanent Representative to the UN in New York Ambassador Munir Akram had, meanwhile, written to the chair of the NGO committee in ECOSOC to de-register 10 fake NGOs identified in the Indian Chronicles, Mr Qureshi said. Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva Amb Khalil Hashmi had also reached out to the human rights machinery, he added.

“The relevant authorities in Switzerland and Belgium have been urged to investigate the finances and transparency of the relevant NGOs registered within their jurisdiction,” the foreign minister said.

“India, the self-professed largest democracy in the world, must be held accountable for all its crimes and misdemeanors; its atrocities in the Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir; its persecution of minorities, particularly Muslims; its belligerent actions against neighbours; and its attempts at mischievous manipulation of international opinion against its adversaries,” he maintained.

Pakistan, Mr Qureshi said, would continue highlighting the matter till India was held accountable for its actions.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2021