India Denies Evacuation Pact With UAE, Flags Deepfake Video as Disinformation

India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has officially denied reports of a joint evacuation plan with the United Arab Emirates through Fujairah port, calling the claims 'fabricated' and 'baseless'. The MEA's fact-checking handle issued a 'Fake News Alert' stating there are no such discussions or agreements underway, refuting a widely shared report by The Times of India that suggested an evacuation pact for Indian nationals abroad.

The ministry shared a newspaper clipping with the headline 'India, UAE working on pact to help in evacuation of Indians via Fujairah port' to highlight the false narrative, and emphasized that no evacuation is being planned. Officials confirmed that no bilateral talks have occurred on this matter, and the story has no factual foundation.

Separately, the MEA issued a 'Deepfake Video Alert' after an AI-generated clip falsely depicting spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal circulated online. The video falsely claimed India had lost Rafale jets and made incorrect assertions about water flow to Pakistan. The MEA and the Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check unit confirmed the video was digitally manipulated and part of a coordinated disinformation effort.

PIB Fact Check stated the original, unedited briefing is available on official platforms and urged the public to verify information only through authenticated government sources. Authorities attributed the spread to Pakistan-based propaganda accounts and advised citizens to remain vigilant against sharing unverified content.

The MEA and PIB reiterated their appeals for the public to rely solely on official communications, as investigations continue into the origin and dissemination of the false reports and digital forgeries.