ISLAMABAD: An eight-month investigation by The News Investigation Cell has documented an alleged attempt by a network to recruit this correspondent to publish externally prepared political articles and provide access to unpublished information in return for long-term financial incentives and future guarantees.
The investigation documented the operation through WhatsApp and Facebook conversations, recorded calls, financial transaction records and article drafts.
During the final phase, when questioned by this correspondent over its possible link to some foreign agency, the network discussed increasing payments, arranging employment abroad and relocating this correspondent and his family if the operation was exposed. One caller also claimed to have played “a small role” in the Pegasus spyware episode, a claim The News could not independently verify.
Recognising the seriousness of the issue, The News Investigation Cell informed the relevant government authorities because of its potential national security implications. The operation was conducted under the editorial supervision of Editor Investigation Ansar Abbasi to document the recruitment methodology.
The first contact came through Facebook in November 2025. A woman identifying herself as a representative of a Dubai-based public relations company said she was looking for journalists who could help publish opinion articles in different countries. Instead of discussing assignments, she sought details about this correspondent’s professional background and media contacts.
Several weeks later, she disclosed the real purpose of the engagement. Her clients, she said, supplied ready-made opinion articles for publication in mainstream Pakistani newspapers. This correspondent would neither report nor verify the material; his role would simply be to arrange publication. The proposed subjects included Pakistan’s military leadership, the economy, the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), Pakistan-China relations, Afghanistan and Balochistan.
Although the proposal was declined, she continued pursuing the arrangement, describing it as the beginning of a long-term relationship involving regular assignments and increasing payments. She also sought information about Pakistan’s media landscape, asking which newspapers carried the greatest influence, how opinion articles were approved and whether published material could later be amplified through Facebook, X and YouTube.
The discussions moved from proposals to execution when the operative offered to pay Rs70,000 for arranging publication of the first article, offering Rs35,000 in advance. She repeatedly insisted that payment be received through cryptocurrency and urged this correspondent to open a crypto wallet. After those requests were declined, the advance was transferred through a digital wallet.
Preliminary examination showed the transaction originated through an outlet in a remote area of Sindh, although the operative communicated through a UK telephone number while claiming to represent a Dubai-based public relations company. The investigation could not independently establish the source of the funds. Later, following repeated requests, another Rs68,000 was transferred through cryptocurrency, bringing the total amount received during the operation to Rs103,000.
Over the following months, the operative supplied three publication-ready opinion articles through WhatsApp. They criticised Pakistan’s military leadership, the government’s economic narrative and the SIFC. One article was revised on the operative’s instructions to name Pakistan’s military chief and Punjab’s chief minister. The articles did not attach any supporting evidence or source material, and every revision required approval from the unidentified client before publication. When asked to substantiate the claims, tweets and social media posts by Pakistan-critical activists based abroad were supplied.
As the engagement progressed, the requests expanded beyond placing articles. The operative asked whether this correspondent, through his professional contacts, could obtain information that had not entered the public domain, particularly following developments along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. She said such assignments would be paid separately, and also sought details about contacts within government departments and other institutions, indicating that the proposed relationship extended beyond publication of opinion pieces. Throughout the operation, this correspondent neither provided unpublished information nor agreed to obtain it. The engagement continued solely to document the recruitment methodology and preserve evidence.
By the final stage of the operation, one question remained unanswered: who was behind the network?
To test the operative’s claim that she represented a Dubai-based public relations company, Editor Investigation Ansar Abbasi directed this correspondent to confront her during a recorded WhatsApp call. This correspondent told her that, based on the nature of the engagement, it appeared he was dealing with some foreign intelligence agency rather than a public relations firm, and asked what protection could be provided if the operation was exposed.
Rather than ending the conversation or reiterating the company’s claimed identity, the operative discussed relocation. She said she could arrange employment to a European country and, if remaining in Pakistan became difficult, help relocate this correspondent. When asked how quickly such arrangements could be made, she replied: “As soon as possible,” adding that she would consult her “bosses” on these points.
The following day, a man identifying himself as her superior contacted this correspondent through the same WhatsApp number. During the recorded conversation, he immediately agreed to revise the financial terms, saying, “I have no issues with money,” and approved payment of Rs170,000 per article, Rs70,000 for publication expenses and Rs100,000 for this correspondent, saying “It’s done” before concluding.
The discussion then turned to security. Asked whether visas could be arranged immediately if relocation became necessary, the caller agreed, in principle, to arrange visas within a week for this correspondent, his wife and children, replying: “It’s done. No problem.” He further claimed that, if relocation became necessary, this correspondent could be accommodated in the international media industry, citing Afghan journalists whom he said had later been placed at a renowned UK-based media organisation. The News could not independently verify that claim.
When this correspondent again asked about the suspicion that the engagement appeared consistent with the methods of some agency, the caller responded: “Aap galat disha mein le kar ja rahe hain (you are going in the wrong direction).” His Urdu accent and words did not sound Pakistani.
The caller also claimed he had played “a small role” in the Pegasus spyware episode that later became the subject of international controversy. The News could not independently verify that assertion.
The investigation could not independently establish who financed the operation, authored the supplied articles or directed the network, nor could it verify the organisational affiliation of those involved. However, the documentary record captures repeated offers of money, publication of externally prepared political articles, requests for unpublished information and discussions about relocation abroad if the operation were exposed. (Courtesy The News).
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