Pakistan continues to inflict damage through disinformation campaign regarding COVID-19: Indian envoy to UN

By Reena Bhardwaj
New York [US], Aug 4 : Countries like Pakistan continue to inflict damage by spreading disinformation in context to COVID-19 to foment division and create disharmony among communities, said Indian envoy to the United Nation, Ambassador TS Tirumurti.
"India and a group of countries cutting across regions made a joined statement in the context of infodemic in the context of COVID-19 and the UN statement was designed to counter exactly this type of disinformation being spread by countries like Pakistan in context to COVID-19 to foment division and create disharmony among communities. Pakistan continues to do damage through such disinformation campaigns," Tirumurti told ANI on Monday.
"A joint statement received widespread political support from over 113 member states and observers, our External Affairs Minister [S Jaishankar] had emphasised that we need to take concrete steps to counter his infodemic," he added.
He underscored that that the Pakistan mission to the UN is compelled to invite a person who has been convicted in the United States Syed Ghulam Nabi Fai to spread their propaganda is indicative of the fact that they do not have any reasonable voice that can help propagate a narrative.
Australia, Chile, France, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Latvia, Lebanon, Mauritius, Mexico, Norway, Senegal, and South Africa, issued a Cross-Regional Statement on Infodemic' on June 12, saying the spread of the misinformation can be as dangerous to human health and security as the pandemic itself.
"Among other negative consequences, COVID-19 has created conditions that enable the spread of disinformation, fake news and doctored videos to foment violence and divide communities. It is critical states counter misinformation as a toxic driver of secondary impacts of the pandemic that can heighten the risk of conflict, violence, human rights violations and mass atrocities," the joint statement read.