{"id":79476,"date":"2020-11-03T17:38:31","date_gmt":"2020-11-03T12:08:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/?p=79476"},"modified":"2020-11-04T21:15:40","modified_gmt":"2020-11-04T15:45:40","slug":"indian-media-outlets-fall-for-impostor-account-claiming-france-revoked-183-pakistani-visas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/indian-media-outlets-fall-for-impostor-account-claiming-france-revoked-183-pakistani-visas\/","title":{"rendered":"Indian media outlets fall for impostor account claiming France revoked 183 Pakistani visas"},"content":{"rendered":"

French President Emmanuel Macron’s remark that Islam is a “religion in crisis” sparked a wave of protests in several parts of the Muslim world. Tensions aggravated after Macron supported the freedom to blaspheme following Samuel Paty’s beheading by a Muslim fundamentalist. Drawings of Prophet Muhammed were projected on government buildings even as such visual depiction is prohibited in Islam. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan accused Macron of “attacking Islam”.<\/p>\n

As tensions run high between France and the Muslim world, multiple media organisations reported that France revoked the visas of 183 Pakistanis living in the country and did not “bow down to pressure” imposed by Islamic nations.<\/p>\n

“French authorities have rejected 183 visitor visas following Prime Minister Imran Khan’s remarks on French President Emmanuel Macron,” reported ANI<\/a> on November 1 further adding that the “Consulate General Of Pakistan France has requested the French authorities to allow a temporary stay of Lt General Ahmad Shuja Pasha’s sister, who is in the country to see her ailing mother-in-law”. Pasha is a former chief of Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI.<\/p>\n

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ANI’s report was republished by Yahoo News<\/a>. A similar report was carried by DNA which said, “This action of Macron government is directly linked to the anti-French rhetoric of Imran Khan.” The purported news also found a place in a blog post by The Times of India<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Hindi media outlets covered the ‘news’ much more widely than English mainstream media outlets. Reports claimed that 183 Pakistani visas were revoked and 118 Pakistani citizens were forcefully deported despite carrying proper documents. Among these were News18<\/a>, Patrika<\/a>, News Nation<\/a>, Amar Ujala<\/a>, Aaj Tak, TV9 Bharatvarsh<\/a>, Dainik Jagran<\/a> and Zee News<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Aaj Tak had taken down its story<\/a> by the time this article was written. An archived link to the report can be accessed here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

TV9 Bharatvarsh titled its report as, “France takes big action against fanatics, revokes visas of 183 Pakistanis.”<\/p>\n