Daily Times

Leaked WhatsApp conversations have surfaced, allegedly involving PTI Secretary General Raoof Hasan and Indian analyst Rahul Roy-Chaudhury. The two are allegedly discussing anti-Pakistan narratives in the leaked audio.

The conversations suggest that Raoof ‘s communication with Roy-Chaudhury, who is allegedly backed by India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), involved sensitive information about Pakistan’s military.

The WhatsApp chats purportedly reveal Roy-Chaudhury contacting Raoof to verify an article about Kashmir.

In response, Raoof reportedly criticised Pakistan’s military leadership and expressed a desire to meet the Indian analyst, stating, “It is partially correct; Bajwa wanted reconciliation. We can discuss this in detail tomorrow if you have time.” In a follow-up message, Roy-Chaudhury apparenlty made another attempted to extract anti-Pakistan Army information from Raoof . “Hello Raoof, I’m worried about you. Please stay safe, and I hope you won’t be arrested,” he wrote.

To this, Raoof reportedly responded, expressing criticism of the army and claiming that Pakistan was heading towards chaos and destruction. Raoof allegedly further discussed his plans to travel to London, stating he would keep Roy-Chaudhury updated unless stopped at the airport.

The messages also suggest that allegedly shared his passport details with Roy-Chaudhury, who responded, “Great, thank you. We are working on your visa.” Flight details were also shared, to which Raoof expressed gratitude.

The chats, if verified, also indicate that Raroof encouraged Roy-Chaudhury to promote a negative narrative about Pakistan’s military. Defence experts have raised concerns, suggesting that the purpose of transmitting sensitive information was to use it as propaganda in Indian media. They have called for a thorough investigation into these allegations, given the potential security implications.

As with all such sensitive claims, the authenticity of these messages remains unconfirmed, and the details surrounding the conversations are still alleged.

Defence analysts insist that the matter requires careful scrutiny to determine the extent of foreign involvement, if any, in influencing Pakistan’s internal politics.

These claims come after earlier reports linking Raoof to conversations with figures like American journalist Ryan Grim and Indian journalist Karan Thapar.

On November 19, 2022, Raoof Hasan, in his capacity as PTI’s Media Coordinator, officially reached out to Indian journalist Karan Thapar.

In their initial WhatsApp exchange, Thapar inquired about a potential interview with PTI senior leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi. On November 24, 2022, Karan Thapar shared his YouTube interview with Raoof Hasan, which included comments by Rana Banerji, former Secretary of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), regarding Pakistan’s current Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir.

In the interview, Thapar described General Munir as a more hardline leader from India’s perspective. The following day, Thapar sent another interview concerning the army chief to Hasan, who responded by disparaging the Pakistani journalist involved and shared sensitive information about the army chief with Thapar.