Ahead of the T20 World Cup scheduled to begin in India on 7 February, Pakistan has launched a coordinated State Sponsored disinformation campaign targeting India by falsely projecting a “Nipah virus crisis” and attempting to link it with the safety of the tournament. Investigations reveal that Pakistani bot networks have been aggressively pushing false claims on social media, alleging a widespread Nipah virus outbreak in India and suggesting that the T20 World Cup could be cancelled due to health risks. These claims are entirely baseless.
Bots, Money Fuel Disinfo Campaign
According to findings accessed by ABP News, the campaign involved over 1 lakh Pakistani accounts, many of them automated bots, supported by AI-generated images to fabricate panic-like visuals. In total, the propaganda operation used approximately 4.89 lakh INR which is 14.9 lakh PKR to artificially amplify the narrative. Data analysis of the accounts involved shows that 81 percent originated from Pakistan, while around 3 percent were traced to Bangladesh, either directly or through VPN-based location masking, with the remaining activity driven largely by automated bot amplification.
Army-Linked Bots Drive Narrative
Further investigation indicates that these bot networks are part of the Pakistan Army’s X Corps information warfare apparatus, which routinely conducts internal and external narrative operations. The X Corps is headquartered in Rawalpindi and is currently commanded by Major General Amer Ahsan Nawaz. As exposed by ABP News last week the officer has recently been linked to the formation of a joint operational framework involving ISKP and Lashkar-e-Taiba, raising serious concerns over the convergence of military-backed propaganda machinery and terror-linked ecosystems.
Analysis confirm that the fake narrative was first seeded by 5–10 Pakistani social media influencers known to work closely with the Army’s X Corps and ISPR, after which lakhs of bot accounts were activated to push the same messaging at scale.
India Debunks Nipah Disinformation Campaign
Contrary to Pakistan’s claims, India has reported only two Nipah virus cases so far, both of whom are fully stable and healthy. Health Officials has also confirmed that over 196 contacts linked to these cases have already been tested, with no positive results and no symptoms detected. Indian health authorities remain on high alert and have robust surveillance, detection, and containment mechanisms in place. There is no threat whatsoever to the T20 World Cup or public safety.
The episode once again exposes Pakistan’s state-backed disinformation machinery, which increasingly relies on bot armies, AI-generated content, and coordinated influencer networks to undermine India on global platforms especially during high-visibility international events.
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