Pak PM Imran Khan jumps into Arnab Goswami’s WhatsApp row; journalist responds

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday jumped into the controversy surrounding the purported WhatsApp messages between Republic TV editor Arnab Goswami and former CEO of Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) Partho Dasgupta, saying the messages showed Indian Air Force’s strikes on Jaish camps in Balakot were “dangerous military adventurism to win an election.”

“Now India’s own media has revealed the dirty nexus that is pushing our nuclearised region to the brink of a conflict it cannot afford…that led to a dangerous military adventurism to win an election in utter disregard for the consequences of destabilising the entire region. Pakistan averted a larger crisis by a responsible, measured response to Balakot,” the Pakistan Prime Minister tweeted on Monday.

The Pakistan PM added, “In 2019, I spoke at UNGA on how India’s fascist Modi govt used the Balakot crisis for domestic electoral gains.  Latest revelations from communication of an Indian journalist, known for his warmongering, reveal the unholy nexus between the Modi govt & Indian media.”

In response, Goswami’s Republic TV channel put out a release saying, “Imran Khan tried to deny Balakot, but later had to acknowledge it. There was ‘false-flag’ about Balakot, it was a direct and necessary response to Pakistan terrorism.”

The purported WhatsApp messages are part of a 3,400-page supplementary chargesheet filed by Mumbai Police last week in the TRP case, where Goswami is accused of manipulating ratings. In one of the purported chats, Goswami wrote to Partho Das, “Something big will happen.”

Three days later, Indian Air Force carried out a strike in the Pakistani town of Balakot. The strikes were seen as India’s response to an attack on February 14, 2019, in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed.

“I want to reiterate that my govt will continue to expose India’s belligerent designs towards Pakistan & Modi govt’s fascism. Int community must stop India from its reckless, militarist agenda before the Modi govt’s brinkmanship pushes our region into a conflict it cannot control,” Imran Khan wrote in a series of tweets.