On July 10, Pakistani Journalist and YouTuber Shakil Chaudhary published an interview with Pakistani Journalist Nusrat Mirza who claimed he spied on India and handed over the information he had gathered during his visits to India between 2005 to 2011.
During the interview, Chaudhary asked Mirza if India was an existential threat to Pakistan and why Pakistan did not have experts on India. His statement irked Mirza, who went on boasting about himself and how he was an expert on India. He said he travelled to India five times. In 2005, he visited Chandigarh, followed by Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai 2006. On another trip, he covered Kolkata, Patna, and other places.
Speaking about the contacts he had, Mirza said, “Usually, when you apply for Visa to India, they only allow you to visit three places. However, at that time, Khurshid Kasuri was the foreign minister who helped me to get Visa for seven cities. I think I understand how India functions. I have studied the circumstances in which Indian Muslims live. I am friends with all the editors of Urdu papers in India. Many news channel owners are good friends. Whenever I have visited India, I have given several interviews.”
‘I was invited by Hamid Ansari’
He said in 2010, he was invited to a seminar on terrorism by then-Vice President Hamid Ansari. He said, “Though I agree I am not an expert, but we are Mughals. We have ruled India for centuries. I understand their culture. I know about their weaknesses. But the problem is the experience I gathered about India is not being used due to lack of good leadership in Pakistan.” During his 2011 visit to India, Mirza said he had met The Milli Gazette’s publisher Zafarul Islam Khan.
‘No one wants to use the information
He blamed Pakistan’s politics for his inability to use the information he had gathered during India visits. He said, “Do you know what the problem in Pakistan is? When a new Chief comes, he wipes out the work done by the previous chief and starts with a clean slate. Khurshid asked me to hand over the information I had brought to Kayani (General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Pakistan’s former Army chief). I said I would not hand over the information to him, but if you want, I am giving you the information. He handed it over to Kayani.
Later they called me and asked if I could get more information like this. I asked them to work on the information I provided. They have a research wing. They have information. They know about the weaknesses in the leadership in India. But they do not use it. Since FATF came, Pakistan has not done any activity in India. It has its hands tied up.”
When the anchor said he was talking about academic experts, Mirza added, “See, they have 29 states. I have visited 15 of them. But at that time, there were 56 Muslim members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. I was friends with every one of those. They were very helpful. It is not like there has not been any research or written work on India. We have books from the 60s.”
Chaudhary pointed out the lack of basic information Pakistani journalists have about India. He said once a senior journalist had said there were separatist movements ongoing in 40 states of India. When the anchor tried to correct him that India had only 29 states, he got angry and said he was well informed.
Mirza replied, “I know where separatist movements are happening. But no one wants to exploit the information. The separatist movements are happening in all regions of India. There is no doubt about that. I used to say there were 26 movements ongoing, but someone said now there are 67 such movements. The main movements are happening in Kashmir and Bengal. But they are not very effective as no one is helping them.”
‘India is against peace’, says Pakistani journalist
When asked if India and Pakistan could live peacefully with each other, Mirza blamed India for being against peace. He claimed India wanted revenge for centuries-old conflicts with Mughals and wanted to finish Pakistan. He talked about meeting a leader from the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh. He said, “When I visited UP, I met a party leader. He informed me how his government supported Muslims and gave them jobs. He was right. If they want to live like that, it is welcoming, but if they want to make Muslims slaved, that is not acceptable.”
‘Pakistan has right over Kashmir’
He was asked about the allegations against Pakistan that it has been creating issues for India since 1947. Pakistan claims Junagadh and Kashmir were its parts though it could have stuck with Kashmir only. Mirza said, “India forcefully took Junagadh and Hyderabad where the kings were Muslims, but the majority was Hindu. If the same logic is used in Kashmir, Pakistan has right on the state.” He agreed that Pakistani leaders made mistakes in the past but did not support the argument that Pakistan should only concentrate on Kashmir.
He further claimed that the king of Hyderabad had announced joining Pakistan, but it was forcefully taken away. He also claimed Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi, father of Assasudin Owaisi, was part of the kingdom when the king announced Hyderabad Deccan would be part of Pakistan and not India.
‘India wants to massacre Muslims’
Mirza claimed there were plans to massacre Muslims in India. He alleged that it was not his words, but the intellectuals and experts from the US and other nations were saying so. When Chaudhary said Zulfikar Bhutto made similar allegations against India, but the population of Muslims has increased exponentially since then, Mirza did not like the counter and said, “I have been to every part of 15 states. I know what is happening there.”
‘India was responsible for Mumbai attack’
Mirza, during the interview, claimed that Pakistan had no role in the Mumbai terror attack of 2008. He said, “Pakistan did not play any role in 26/11. Even the experts from India say that it was an inside job.” He mentioned articles written by journalist Amaresh Misra who is infamous for whitewashing crimes of Pakistan in the 26/11 attack. His reports were also republished by Mirza’s media house. Mirza claimed to blame Pakistan was India’s strategy to malign its name.
