ANI makes absurd claim about Imran Khan's wife based on photoshopped screenshot - Alt News
Mohammed Zubair
29th September 2019 / 9:36 pm / Last updated: 30th September 2019
On September 29, multimedia news agency ANI published an article on Pakistan PM’s wife Bushra Bibi with the caption, “Pakistan’s first lady Bushra Bibi’s image does not appear in mirrors: PM House staff”. While quoting an unnamed member of PM House staff, ANI reported that Pakistan’s first lady’s image does not appear in mirrors. The report was based on a screenshot of Pakistan’s Capital TV which reads, “پی ایم ہاؤس کے ٹاف کے مطابق خاتون اول کا آئینے میں عکس نظر نہیں آتا (According to PM House staff, Image of the first lady not seen be seen in the mirror.)”
Pakistan’s first lady Bushra Bibi’s image does not appear in mirrors: PM House staff
Read @ANI story | https://t.co/H5eej6qq6R pic.twitter.com/b4Q17GIWu1
— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) September 29, 2019
The article which was also tweeted by ANI editor Smita Prakash is now deleted. After taking it down, ANI published another article titled, “Twitterati divided over reports that Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi’s image doesn’t form in mirrors.”
Twitterati divided over reports that Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi’s image doesn’t form in mirrors
Read @ANI story | https://t.co/W7cUTFdyyH pic.twitter.com/go42zqmOyE
— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) September 29, 2019
Here they claimed, “Even as some Pakistani journalists alleged that the picture is photoshopped, a Pakistani source said that the news was actually run by the tv channel before being pulled off-air.”
While searching for the report by Capital TV, Alt News came across several tweets by the channel calling out ANI and denying that they had published any such report. In one of the tweets, Capital TV blamed ANI and their “irresponsible journalism” for using a “photoshopped poster” with Capital TV’s template.
Height of irresponsible journalism; Indian news agency tweets photoshopped poster of ‘fake news’ on official Twitter account, using Capital TV’s logo
👉 Details: https://t.co/FrtEjZXoet#CapitalTV #ANI #IndianMedia #FakeNewsAlert @ANI @PTIofficial @ani_digital pic.twitter.com/oIF9M0JvFx
— Capital TV (@CapitalTV_News) September 29, 2019
In another tweet, Capital TV claimed that their administration had already filed a complaint with the FIA about a fake poster when it was circulated a year ago. While speaking to the anchor, Director of Capital TV, Naushad Ali had mentioned that they had filed a complaint with FIA Cyber Crime Wing last year.
While searching for older reports, Alt News came across a tweet by a Journalist Aniqa Nisar of Capital TV on Oct 1, 2018, saying no such news was aired by the channel. She had also tweeted that they had filed a complaint with FIA Cyber Crime Wing.
For everyone who’s been asking. This is #FakeNews , I gave no beeper on any such news and rest assured no such irresponsible news was aired by @CapitalTV_News pic.twitter.com/MglPJRfXzz
— Aniqa Nisar (@AniqaNisar) September 30, 2018
We found another 2018 tweet by Capital TV which shared a copy of the complaint in FIA‘s Cyber-Crime Wing against those “spreading false and absurd news”.
📺#CapitalTV files complaint in #FIA‘s Cyber-Crime Wing against those misusing its logo and branding and spreading the false and absurd news
👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/iKrYB1OuQP
— Capital TV (@CapitalTV_News) October 1, 2018
Times Now had published an article with a similar headline, “Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s wife Bushra bibi’s reflection can’t be seen in a mirror, claims report.”
Times Now also published an article in Hindi.
आइने में नहीं दिखती हैं इमरान खान की तीसरी पत्नी बुशरा! सामने आया नया रहस्यhttps://t.co/6GOghw6ecs
— Times Now Hindi (@TimesNowHindi) September 29, 2019
Both their reports have been updated without a clarification that the channel had earlier published misinformation.
Several other Hindi media outlets had also carried similar stories – Aaj Tak, Dainik Jagran, Amar Ujala, TV9 Bharatvarsh and Loksatta. The Indian Express published a report in Bengali based on the ANI article.
TV9 Bharatvarsh tweeted “इमरान की ‘अदृश्य बेगम’ पाकिस्तान में वायरल है! देखिए आज रात 8:30 बजे @TV9Bharatvarsh पर”
इमरान की ‘अदृश्य बेगम’ पाकिस्तान में वायरल है!
देखिए आज रात 8:30 बजे @TV9Bharatvarsh पर pic.twitter.com/0R9chhRY5X
— TV9 भारतवर्ष (@TV9Bharatvarsh) September 29, 2019
The misinformation was also shared by propaganda website OpIndia and MyNation. The former later modified their report, including its title.
In conclusion, a piece of misinformation travelled in the media and subsequently to millions of viewers after a misinformed report was published by ANI and later picked up by other media outlets.
Co-founder, Alt News
Co-Founder Alt News, I can be reached via Twitter at https://twitter.com/zoo_bear
Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi recently performed aarti at the Narmada Ghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Omkareshwar…
In the wake of the alleged murder of Shraddha Walkar by his partner Aftab Amin…
The video of a group of people stopping an e-rickshaw with BJP flags attached to…
Last week during the G20 summit in Bali, world leaders were informed of a missile…
Recently, several prominent BJP leaders claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had intervened to stop…