ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) on Sunday rejected as “fake news” an Indian news report suggesting the “forced” deportation of 118 Pakistan nationals from France in connection with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s recent criticism of President Emmanuel Macron following his statement about people having the right to publish blasphemous cartoons.
Asian News International, premium Indian news agency, citing a fake Twitter account pretending to be handled by the Pakistan embassy in Paris, reported Sunday morning that French authorities have rejected 183 visitor visas of Pakistan nationals and “forcefully deported” 118 citizens with proper documents.
“We’re currently in touch with french authority to give our citizens temporary stay,” ANI reported. The report was later carried by several Indian outlets and made the rounds on social media.
Rebutting the claim, FO Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, in a statement, said, “We have noticed some fake news with regard to the Pakistani diaspora in France being spread by some sections of Indian media and dummy Twitter accounts.”
“The baseless and misleading information is patently a handiwork of Indian anti-Pakistan propaganda machine working overtime,” he said.
Chaudhri also said that there have been “no complaints” from the Pakistan diaspora in France, whose members are “law-abiding and contributing positively to the French economy.”
He added that the official Twitter account of Pakistan’s embassy in France @PakinFrance could be followed for accurate information.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari also confirmed to Arab News that his ministry had not received any such complaints.
“There are over 110,000 Pakistanis who are living in France and we have not received any complaint from them recently,” Bukhari said.
