Pakistani propaganda accounts are circulating a digitally altered screenshot of a news outlet’s report on drug trafficking, falsely claiming that a PTI minister, in an attempt to protect drug lords, misquoted a propaganda article from The Telegraph Online, allegedly owned by India. However, this claim is entirely false and fabricated. The screenshot has been digitally manipulated. In reality, the article referenced by the minister was published by The Telegraph UK, not The Telegraph India.
A propaganda account, @InsiderWB, shared the screenshot with the caption:
“It appears that the PTI Minister, in an effort to save the drug lords, has wrongly quoted a propaganda piece of Telegraph Online (Owned by India). Why are PTI elements in sync with Indian propaganda news media outlets? The world has to take note.”
The claim was subsequently reshared by several pro-establishment accounts attempting to portray PTI officials as aligned with Indian media.
Truth: The Telegraph UK, not The Telegraph India, published the report cited by the PTI minister
As the false claim gained traction on social media, it drew our attention. The D-Intent Data Team conducted a detailed investigation and examined the origins of the screenshot. Our findings led us to the official website of The Telegraph UK, where the original article titled “New opium capital of the world risks funnelling millions to terrorists” was published in September 2025. The report discussed the expansion of poppy farms across Pakistan’s Balochistan region, posing risks of funding terrorism.
Meanwhile, no such article exists on The Telegraph India website. The fabricated screenshot was manipulated to make it appear as though the Indian outlet had published the piece.
The Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information, Shafi Jan, correctly referenced the UK publication in his statement. Thus, the circulating screenshot and associated claims are baseless and intentionally misleading.
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— D-Intent Data (@dintentdata) November 6, 2025
ANALYSIS: Fake
FACT: Pakistani propaganda accounts are circulating a digitally altered screenshot of a news outlet’s report on drugs, falsely claiming that a PTI minister, in an attempt to protect drug lords, misquoted a propaganda article (1/4) pic.twitter.com/QywsjTmVJd
Intent:
Propaganda accounts are circulating digitally altered screenshots with self-invented claims to target Indian media outlets while setting their internal political narrative.
Conclusion:
Claim: A PTI minister misquoted a propaganda article from India’s Telegraph Online to defend drug lords.
Fact: The article was published by The Telegraph UK, not The Telegraph India. The screenshot was digitally altered to spread misinformation.
Related Article: Fact-Check: Digitally altered video falsely claims Major General Neeraj Shukla criticized the government and President Droupadi Murmu – D-Intent Data
