Hybrid warfare, a cunning military tactic, combines the forces of conventional, irregular, and cyber warfare, along with disinformation campaigns, to undermine opposing nations without engaging in overt hostilities. The concept of hybrid warfare was introduced by Frank Hoffman in 2007, during a period of rapid global connectivity facilitated by the Internet and social media.
In this digital age, where the battleground is no longer confined to physical borders, the stakes are higher than ever, and the consequences of this hybrid warfare strategy are far-reaching and profound. Nowhere is this more evident than in the tumultuous relationship between India and Pakistan, where social media and digital platforms have become breeding grounds for perpetuating issues such as Kashmir.
However, the battleground has now shifted, with a surge of information warfare focusing on the Indian state of Punjab. In this treacherous game, various active groups, masquerading as the Khalistan movement, have emerged from multiple countries, seeking to incite unrest and instability. The battle for control over narratives and the manipulation of public opinion has reached new heights, as these covert forces wage their information warfare with calculated precision.
DFRAC has previously released a series of comprehensive reports regarding efforts to disrupt India’s domestic affairs under the guise of the Khalistan movement. These reports shed light on the activities and patterns of pro-Khalistan groups in Pakistan, Australia, and Canada.
In the following report, DFRAC will focus on a specific Twitter account originating from Pakistan that is actively promoting and disseminating an anti-India Khalistani agenda disguised as news related to the Sikh community.
The report will address the following key points:
- About Nation Gazette
- Fake and Misleading Claims
- Propagation of Khalistani Agenda
- Ideology Propagation: Anti-Muslim sentiments in India
- The Connection of Pakistani Followers
- Counterfeit Administrator of Nation Gazette
- Conclusion
About Nation Gazette
The account (ID: 1120921448) was established in January 2013. It identifies itself as the “Digital Media Platform of the Republic of Khalistan”. The account obtained verification in July 2023 by acquiring the Blue Badge from Twitter. It currently boasts a following of over 750 individuals. The account’s location is listed as Punjab, and it is attributed to Dr. Rajbir Bajwa, an Indian doctor.
Interestingly, the account’s first tweet was posted in 2020, despite being created in 2013. Such a delay raises doubts about its credibility, leaving us to question the true nature of this account’s past. It is possible that the account previously operated under a different name and has since changed its username, deleting all previous tweets in order to pursue a new agenda.
Fake and Misleading Claims by Nation Gazette
Fact Check 1| Did the Indian Army engage in firing upon the UNMOGIP vehicle situated along the Line of Control (LoC)?
The initial tweet from the account was published on December 20, 2020, at 11:00 PM, with a focus on India. Nation Gazette issued this tweet shortly after the tweet made by former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan.
In his tweet, Imran Khan directed his criticism towards India, alleging that the country intentionally fired upon the UNMOGIP vehicle.
Similar tweets targeting India were posted not only from Imran Khan’s account, but also from the official accounts of PTI (@PTIofficial) and Pak PMO (@PakPMO).
In order to substantiate the assertion made in the tweet, the DFRAC team conducted a comprehensive examination of all news sources pertaining to the incident. In the course of this investigation, a report from India Today was obtained, which refuted Pakistan’s claim.
According to the report, Farhan Aziz Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, stated that the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan reported an incident in which a UNMOGIP vehicle carrying UN military observers was struck by an unidentified object during routine surveillance activities near Rawalkot along the Line of Control (LoC) in 2016.
This incident occurred as part of the UN Military Observer group’s mandate to monitor and report ceasefire violations. Haq clarified that while there was no harm to the personnel and the driver, the vehicle did sustain some damage. The mission is currently investigating the incident.
Additionally, reports from ANI and Hindustan Times also refute Pakistan’s claim, as there was no firing from the Indian side.
According to the report, Farhan Aziz Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, stated that the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan reported an incident in which a UNMOGIP vehicle carrying UN military observers was struck by an unidentified object during routine surveillance activities near Rawalkot along the Line of Control (LoC) in 2016.
This incident occurred as part of the UN Military Observer group’s mandate to monitor and report ceasefire violations. Haq clarified that while there was no harm to the personnel and the driver, the vehicle did sustain some damage. The mission is currently investigating the incident.
Additionally, reports from ANI and Hindustan Times also refute Pakistan’s claim, as there was no firing from the Indian side.
Thus, the claim made by former Pakistani PM Imran Khan was found to be baseless.
Fact Check 2|Viral video of Manipur woman’s dead body peddled in wrong context
A video of a woman’s body was circulated amidst the Manipur violence. Nation Gazette shared the video with the caption “sensitive content” and claimed that the woman belonged from Christian Kuki Tribe and was sexually assaulted.
The DFRAC team investigated about the claim and the video. During the process we found a report published on August 7,2023 by The Telegraph Online who covered the truth behind the video. They reported that the woman belonged from the Naga tribe in Manipur and not the Kuki community. They cited,” Lucy belonged to the Naga tribe Maring. According to her family, Lucy was picked up by a group and taken to Sawombung in Imphal East, about 10km from her home in Imphal West where she lived with her mother and brother”
Another media house, The Indian Express, also covered the news on July 19,2023.
Dfrac’s fact check confirmed that the woman in the viral video was not from the Christian Kuki community but from the Naga tribe. The report also did not mention any sexual harassment of the woman. Thus the viral claim of Nation Gazette was proved to be misleading.
Propagation of Khalistani Agenda
A significant volume of tweets were generated from the Nation Gazette’s account expressing support for the establishment of Khalistan. These tweets specifically focused on Amritpal Singh, who was allegedly involved in activities deemed anti-national. These tweets painted the establishment of Khalistan as a sacred mission, while also championing the separatist aspirations of those in Canada and Australia.
Gurpat Singh Pannu, hailed as the ambassador of Khalistan, made waves with a tweet declaring Shimla as the future capital of Khalistan. Additionally, the tweet stated that Khalistan intends to appoint ambassadors in all countries, and aims to foster friendly relations with neighboring nations and other countries worldwide.
Ideology Propagation: Anti-Muslim sentiments in India
India was the subject of scrutiny by the Nation Gazette, which circulated the videos of rallies conducted by Hindutva organizations and the recent clash in Haryana, allegedly advocating for the rights of Muslims.
The tweet asserted that minorities in India are devoid of any respite, as they find themselves ensnared in the violence perpetrated by the majority of society. Muslims, in particular, are confronted with threats, instances of lynching, and various forms of harassment. The tweet further reiterated the notion of a separate nation for Muslims, as espoused by the Two Nation Theory.
The Connection of Pakistani Followers
The Twitter account belonging to Nation Gazette (@NationGazette) currently boasts approximately 790 followers. Upon conducting an examination of the followers associated with this account, it has come to our attention that a significant number of fabricated accounts have been created under the guise of Muslim and Sikh individuals.
Dure Akram (@dureakram), the editor of Daily Times Pak (@DailyTimesPak) in Punjab, Pakistan, is among the individuals who actively engage with this account. Additionally, she consistently shares and amplifies content from this platform through retweets.
Counterfeit Administrator of Nation Gazette
The account administrator of Nation Gazette,Dr. Rajbir Singh Bajwa (@DrRajbirBajwa), has been identified as General and Laparoscopic Surgeon (MBBS, MS) at Sri Guru Ramdas Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Amritsar. Dr. Bajwa’s account was created in August 2018, coinciding with the establishment of the Nation Gazette’s Twitter account. Similar to the Nation Gazette’s account, Dr. Bajwa’s account has a total of 307 tweets as of July 10, 2023.
We have attached the image of the first tweet shared by the account July 10, 2023 , below.
Given the dubious credibility of the aforementioned account and the atypical tweeting behavior observed, we initiated communication with the real Dr. Rajbir Singh Balwa residing in Amritsar. He confirmed that he does not possess any presence on Twitter or Facebook. Consequently, it is evident that an imposter account is being operated under the guise of Dr. Rajbir Singh Bajwa.
Conclusion:
The Nation Gazette is a Twitter account based in Pakistan that espouses anti-India sentiments and actively promotes the Khalistan movement. With a cunning strategy, this account amplifies Khalistani activities occurring in foreign lands. To maintain an air of credibility within the Sikh community, it cleverly showcases news pertaining to the Sikh diaspora. Additionally, the account has created a fraudulent profile under the name of Dr. Rajbir Singh Bajwa, a renowned doctor from Amritsar, and falsely attributes him as its account administrator. The majority of its followers are also of Pakistani origin.
It is evident that this is just a piece of the puzzle in Pakistan’s grand scheme to undermine India’s unity, integrity, and sow seeds of instability within the country.
