In Hyderabad, India, a grave has been discovered, which the propaganda machinery of the Modi government has utilized over the past few days to disseminate false information regarding Pakistan. Why does India always do propaganda against Pakistan? Why now, just before the start of SCO, India is spreading Islamophobia and Indian Godi media spewing hate? SCO stands for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. It is a political, economic, and security alliance comprising eight member states, including China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The organization was established in 2001 with the aim of promoting regional cooperation and stability.
According to reports from various news agencies and portals, it has been claimed that parents in Pakistan are preventing the rape of their daughters by locking their graves. These reports seem to have originated from a tweet by Harris Sultan, a former Muslim turned atheist and author of the book ‘The Curse of God: Why I Left Islam’.
What action is Pakistan going to take against the citizens that spread Islamophobia? Have news agencies and channels attempted to verify the authenticity of this “news” by checking if it was reported by local channels or any credible sources? Have they investigated the location of the alleged incident and interviewed the parents involved? It seems not. Instead, their articles seem to have relied solely on a tweet posted by Harris Sultan on Wednesday, April 26th.
By conducting a keyword search in Urdu, I was able to discover several Facebook posts from Tuesday, April 25th. However, none of these posts made any mention of rape. It appears that the narrative regarding rape emerged at a later time.
Fake News About Pakistan
I was able to locate the earliest Twitter and Facebook posts from Monday, April 24th and early Tuesday, April 25th. However, none of these posts made any reference to the rape allegations that were reported by the news channels.
I had a conversation with one of the individuals who shared the image, and here is what he had to say. I am currently in the process of trying to identify the person who took or first shared the image, and I will provide updates on the matter when more information becomes available. It is concerning that Indian news agencies and outlets are disseminating unverified claims merely because they have gone viral on Twitter.
Nearly all news channels are reporting on this unverified news that originated from a tweet; some false narratives India likes to propagate against Pakistan without introspection and credibility.
An update has been provided indicating that the grave in question is from India. The graveyard is situated across from the Masjid E Salar Mulk mosque in Darab Jung Colony, Madannapet, Hyderabad, Telangana.
Alt News reached out to a Hyderabad resident and social worker by the name of Abdul Jaleel. After our request, he visited the location and shared photographs of the grave in question with us.
Jaleel had a conversation with Muqtar Sahab, who serves as the Muazzin of the Masjid. Mr. Muqtar informed Jaleel that the padlocked grave, which is approximately 1.5 to 2 years old, is situated directly in front of the entrance, causing an obstruction to the pathway.
The matter was deliberated upon by the members of the Masjid committee for a period of eight days. When asked about the reason for the grille, Mr. Muqtar explained that many people come to the cemetery and bury bodies on top of older graves without seeking permission, which led to the decision to install the grille.
“The people who already have their close ones resting here have had complaints since they come here to read Fateha. In order to prevent others from burying any bodies further, the families have put the grille there.”
After being notified that an image of this particular grave was being shared with the false claim that it was from Pakistan, Mr. Muqtar clarified that the grille was also installed to prevent people from stepping on the grave, as it was located in front of the entrance.
Alt News also spoke to a nearby resident who confirmed that the grave belonged to an elderly woman who passed away in her seventies. Her son constructed the grille approximately 40 days after her burial. Various media outlets, including ANI, shared the photo of the padlocked grave with the misleading claim that parents in Pakistan were locking their daughters’ graves to prevent rape. However, the photo was actually taken in Hyderabad, India and the grave in question is that of an elderly woman. One of the many false narratives India likes to propagate against Pakistan and this results in reported beliefs of common Indians against Pakistanis.