The European Union (EU) DisinfoLab in its latest investigative report has highlighted that leading Indian media outlet Asian News International (ANI) is engaged in baseless propaganda against China and Pakistan by referring to sources that “do not exist”.

“The narratives pushed by these fake personae and/or organisations are almost entirely about criticising Pakistan and China, countries that are not India’s greatest allies on the international stage,” said the report called ‘Bad Sources (BS).’

The report is a follow-up to two previous investigations published in 2019 and 2020.

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The investigation reveals that the news agency repeatedly quoted a think tank that was dissolved in 2014. Moreover, it has been using quotes from non-existent journalists, bloggers and geopolitical experts.

“Fake personae, self-described as James Bond fans, basketball players and management consultants, became geopolitical experts quoted by ANI numerous times on topics such as Pakistan’s army doctrines and China’s ‘wolf warrior diplomacy’,” said the DisinfoLab.

“A think tank, dissolved in 2014, is now quoted about twice a week by ANI,” as per the report.”The think tank’s website falsely mentions real Canadian university professors as participants in a conference that they never attended, even concocting false quotes by these academics,” it said.