Fake News
In a strong rebuttal, the Foreign Office Spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, categorically dismissed the circulating reports regarding the purported visit of an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) delegation to Pakistan.
Addressing media inquiries concerning this matter, the FO spokesperson emphatically declared any assertions regarding a high-level IAEA delegation’s visit to Pakistan as “fake news.”
She unequivocally stated, “No official from IAEA is currently visiting Pakistan, nor are any policy talks planned in the near future with IAEA.”
Baloch further clarified that the Director General of the IAEA had indeed visited Pakistan in February 2023.
The speculation gained momentum after a PTI US chapter official and several others shared a video clip from an Indian news segment aired on Zee News, depicting a meeting between IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, circulating it on various social media platforms.
The video claimed that the government and the IAEA had struck a deal concerning Islamabad’s nuclear weapons.
To address this misinformation, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar took to his social media handle, formerly known as Twitter, condemning the dissemination of fake news.
He stated, “Fake news from an anchor based abroad clearly rebutted. Such blatant lies and propaganda to harm the state based on malicious intent will be responded to make no mistake.”
The strong denial from the Foreign Office underscores the government’s commitment to countering misinformation and maintaining transparency regarding matters of national significance.
The statement serves as a reminder of the importance of verifying information from credible sources and refraining from spreading false narratives that can undermine national interests.
