New Zealand cancelled tour after fake threat email from India: Fawad Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said that the cancellation of New Zealand Cricket team’s tour of Pakistan was the result of fifth-generation hybrid war against Pakistan as fake news was generated by India to scuttle the tour.

Addressing a joint press conference along with Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, he said India had been hatching conspiracies against Pakistan but like the past, it would fail to weaken Pakistan’s standing at international level. He said that India had made huge investment in Afghanistan to use its soil for operating terrorists in Pakistan but after fall of Kabul all its investment was wasted.

The minister disclosed that the threatening email was generated from a secure service Proton mail and Pakistan has requested Interpol to assist for further probe.

He said that on August 19, a Facebook post was circulated from fabricated account made in the name of Ehsanullah Ehsan (ex spokesman of Tehreek -e-Taliban Pakistan) on social media asking New Zealand Cricket Board and government not to send the team to Pakistan, as plans had been made to target the New Zealand team but the post was not found on Facebook.

He said that after two days, an Indian newspaper Sunday Guardian Bureau Chief Abhinandan Mishra wrote an article claiming that the New Zealand cricket team may face a terrorist attack in Pakistan. The article was based on the fake post of Ehsanullah Ehsan and Mishra was also found in contact with former Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh.

He said that projection of threat by publication of an article by the Bureau Chief of a reputed Indian paper based on a fake social media post suggested an orchestrated campaign to scuttle the tour.

Fawad said that on August 24, New Zealand cricketer Martin Guptill’s wife received a threat threatening to kill thim while on tour. The email account was generated at 01:05AM, on Aug 24 and emailed on the same day at 11:59AM. It was obvious that the email was generated purposefully as no other activity was found from the same email.

He said that despite all these tactics, New Zealand tour was not cancelled and its team arrived in Pakistan on September 11 and 12 in two chartered flights. The team attended practice sessions at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on September 13 and 14 and no threat alert was reported. Both the teams again carried out practice in the evening on September 16.

He said on September 17, NZ government expressed concern over the reported credible threat and cancelled the tour unilaterally without sharing the details of the threat.

He said that on September 18, Interpol Wellington informed Interpol Islamabad about receipt of a threat email to New Zealand Police requesting further probe. Fawad said that email was sent 15 minutes after the ID was created and it was generated for a specific purpose.

The minister said email was sent from an associated device in India using VPN showing IP address/ location of Singapore. He said that social media revealed that the possible user of this email ID is an Indian from Mumbai.

He said that timing and text of the threat email suggest that this threat was not the reason for cancellation of the tour but was issued just after the cancellation to malign Pakistan and substantiate the security concerns of New Zealand and other touring countries.

Fawad said that the involvement of Indian media and intelligence agencies in a systematic campaign to malign Pakistan based on a concocte social media campaign and indicates malafide intent. He said that FIA would contact Interpol/Proton mail for provision of details. He said Pakistan was sure that the same agencies were behind this email ID that had sent the threat mail.

He said that FIA was in contact with Interpol to provide further details of email IDs and Pakistan would also request other cricket teams to share security-related concerns. He said the Indian Disinformation campaign based on false threat alert led to unilateral cancelation of tour by New Zealand.

He said this was a very serious trend and ICC must take notice of these nefarious and malicious acts of Indian nationals, otherwise it will adversely impact the game for many years.

He said that during Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit the information reached there at a time when PM Imran Khan was to make his speech.   He said that after the speech, the prime minister was informed about New Zealand’s decision to abandon the tour. He was requested by PCB chairman Rameez Raja to call his New Zealand counterpart to assure about security of its players.

PM Imran Khan said New Zealand’s Prime Minister that cancellation of the tour would result in people’s frustration and anger. She insisted that she had critical information about the plot to attack New Zealand cricketers.

He said that PCB chairman Rameez Raja, foreign ministry and Interior ministry would take up the issue at all concerned forums. The minister thanked the cricket fraternity including international players and cricket lovers from all over the world for supporting Pakistan.