Journalist Fakhar Durrani says foreign network tried to recruit him to publish anti-Pakistan content

Says Rs103,000 was transferred to his account through digital and cryptocurrency-based payment methods

Investigative journalist Fakhar Durrani on Tuesday said a foreign network attempted to recruit him to publish pre-written articles critical of Pakistan's state institutions and use his influence to help foreign media outlets, including DW, France 24 and The Sun, expand their presence in the country. He also released audio recordings that he said documented the interactions.

According to a post on X by Durrani, a foreign intelligence network offered him money to publish articles received from abroad. He said he was also assured that, should he face any punitive action by the Pakistani state, arrangements would be made to relocate him overseas.

Durrani said a woman, who claimed to represent a Dubai-based public relations agency, approached him with requests to publish pre-written articles on what she described as sensitive Pakistani subjects, including the military leadership, the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), and Pakistan-China relations. He said she offered him Rs70,000 per article.

را کی خبر بارے مزید ثبوت
3 جولائی کو را کی مبینہ ایجنٹ سے 36 منٹ تفصیلی بات ہوئی جس میں اس نے Pegasus پراجیکٹ اور پاکستان بارے اپنے کردار کا ذکر کیا۔ ساتھ ہی اس نے تفصیلاً DW ، The Sun اور ایک فرانسیسی اخبار کے لیے یہاں سپیس لینے کا ذکر کیا کہ وہ چاہتے ہیں یہاں DW اور باقی ان دو… pic.twitter.com/5L7iZprzdo

— Fakhar Durrani (@FrehmanD) July 27, 2026

He further said a total of Rs103,000 was transferred to his account through digital and cryptocurrency-based payment methods. Although the payment appeared to originate from a UK phone number, he said it was actually sent from a remote area of Sindh.

Durrani also said he was asked to use his influence to help foreign media outlets, including DW, France 24 and The Sun, expand their presence in Pakistan in order to promote narratives critical of the Pakistani state and its institutions.

According to Durrani, the network supplied three pre-written articles critical of Pakistan's military leadership and economic situation and requested that the names of specific political leaders be inserted into the content. He also alleged that he was asked to provide unpublished information relating to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and government institutions.

Read: Suspect arrested over India-linked digital influence campaign: Tarar

Durrani said that after becoming suspicious of the activity, he kept his newspaper's editorial board informed throughout his interactions and also alerted the relevant government authorities. Believing the individuals could be linked to a foreign intelligence agency, he said he continued communicating with them in an effort to determine the nature of the operation.

According to Durrani, after he raised concerns about the risks involved, the alleged recruiters increased their offer to Rs170,000 per article and promised to arrange European visas for his family within a week.

Durrani also said one of the contacts claimed to have played "a small role" in the Pegasus spyware scandal. However, he said that despite his own investigation, he was unable to verify the claim.

He claimed that the individuals used information warfare tactics, including a fake PR firm, Facebook and WhatsApp accounts, UK-based phone numbers, and cryptocurrency and digital wallet transfers, to conceal the source of the funding.