It seems that conspiracy theories against Pakistan is a favourite topic of Indian journalist Arnab Goswami, who has once again been caught airing false information to the Indian public.
In an episode on his show The Debate aired on September 15, Goswami claimed that his ‘sources’ in Afghanistan had informed him that Pakistan Army officers were staying on the fifth floor of the Serena Hotel in Kabul.
The only problem with this narrative is that Serena Hotel in Kabul has only two floors above the ground level. Floors number three, four and five are nonexistent.
Goswami had invited Abdul Samad Yaqoob, a defence and political analyst and a spokesperson of the PTI, along with others, to speak about the alleged in-fighting between the Afghan Taliban.
During the debate, when Yaqoob questioned the veracity of his Goswami’s “sources” in Afghanistan who had claimed the resistance in Panjshir would eventually cause the group to split into rival factions, Goswami responded that Yaqoob should “not to worry about my sources.”
He then added, “My sources said three things, all of which are right. My sources said that the people of Panjshir will fight and they are still fighting,” he said. “And the Taliban are still fighting there.”
“Secondly, my sources said that the Pakistani forces will retreat and all your officers will leave, slowly start pulling out. That is exactly what happened. Okay, you go and check today, you check today, okay, on the fifth floor of the Serena Hotel. I’m telling you, please check, the fifth floor of the Serena Hotel in Kabul. How many Pakistani Army officers are there?
“I am giving you. You want more details? I’ll tell you which room, or is this enough? Fifth floor of the Serena Hotel, Kabul, how many Pakistani officers are there. Okay? I can also tell you what they ordered for dinner, so don’t question my intelligence sources.”
He further told Yaqoob that Republic TV has “got all its aerial surveillance on you people.”
On September 16, Yaqoob once again showed up on The Debate and told Goswami his “sources” probably didn’t exist since the Serena Kabul has only two floors.
The Indian anchor had no logical answer to the counter.
After the clip aired, newsmen called the Serena Hotel to verify whether the hotel indeed has five floors.
A receptionist told them that the hotel has only two floors and four blocks.
“On the ground floor, we have offices and the lobby. Above the ground floor are only two floors, where there are rooms for guests,” he said.
