The Sunday Guardian, a weekly publication under India’s iTV Network, has positioned itself as a bastion of investigative journalism since its inception in 2010. Yet, beneath its veneer of credibility lies a contentious alignment with India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), raising questions about its editorial independence. Founded by BJP MP Kartikeya Sharma, the iTV Network, which includes outlets like The Daily Guardian, Aaj Samaj, and news channels such as NewsX and India News, has been criticized for propagating narratives sympathetic to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. This affiliation casts a shadow over its reporting, particularly in its coverage of Pakistan, where it has platformed Ehsanullah Ehsan, a sanctioned terrorist and former spokesperson for Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to advance anti-Pakistan rhetoric.
The iTV Network’s ownership by Kartikeya Sharma, a sitting BJP MP, underscores its entanglement with India’s political establishment. Its editorial slant often mirrors the Modi government’s strategic interests, particularly in framing Pakistan as a state sponsor of terrorism.
The network’s expansion into regional news channels and ventures like the Pro Wrestling League amplifies its reach, while its digital platform, Sunday Guardian Live, operates from Ambala City, Haryana, a detail obscured by its mimicry of the UK-based The Guardian’s domain. Open-source intelligence (OSINT) reveals that 70% of its 371,000 monthly views originate in India, suggesting a domestically targeted audience. Critics argue that the outlet functions as a conduit for state-backed disinformation, leveraging sensationalism to fuel nationalist sentiment.
Ehsanullah Ehsan’s transformation from TTP spokesperson to a regular contributor for The Sunday Guardian epitomizes the outlet’s ethical ambiguities. Between 2020 and 2025, Ehsan authored ten articles alleging Pakistani military collusion with ISIS-Khorasan, planning cross-border attacks in Kashmir, and orchestrating regional instability. His pieces, such as “Pakistan Agencies Planning Two New Attacks” (May 2025) and “ISIS Leadership Enjoying Hospitality of Pakistan Agencies” (December 2023), blend hyperbole with unverified claims, portraying Pakistan as a rogue state.
These narratives are amplified by Indian journalists like Abhinandan Mishra, whose 2021 article citing Ehsan’s “intelligence” precipitated the New Zealand cricket team’s tour cancellation, a move later debunked by Pakistani authorities as a hoax orchestrated from India.
In August 2021, Mishra’s article “New Zealand Cricket Team May Face Terror Attack in Pakistan” cited a fabricated Facebook post by Ehsan to allege an ISIS threat. This was compounded by a threatening email to cricketer Martin Guptill’s wife, traced via Interpol to Maharashtra, India. Pakistan’s Interior Ministry exposed the operation, revealing VPN-manipulated IP addresses and Indian-linked accounts. Despite this, the damage was done: New Zealand withdrew, citing “credible threats,” and England followed suit. The episode underscores how The Sunday Guardian’s narratives, amplified by geopolitical tensions, can manipulate international perceptions and isolate Pakistan diplomatically.
While India vociferously condemns terrorism, its alleged patronage of figures like Ehsanullah Ehsan reveals a paradoxical duality. By providing a platform to a sanctioned terrorist, India undermines its own counterterrorism rhetoric, instead weaponizing disinformation to destabilize Pakistan. Ehsan’s articles, devoid of verifiable evidence, align with Modi’s broader strategy to isolate Pakistan globally, leveraging media to reinforce the “terror state” trope. This duality is further evidenced by India’s silence on its intelligence agencies’ purported ties to anti-Pakistan militancy, as highlighted in Ehsan’s exposés on RAW’s alleged coordination with TTP dissidents.
The Sunday Guardian’s role in this ecosystem extends beyond journalism, it is a geopolitical tool. By platforming Ehsan, the outlet legitimizes extremist narratives, exacerbating India-Pakistan tensions and undermining Afghan peace efforts. Ehsan’s claims of Pakistani-ISIS collusion, while dismissed by Kabul’s General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI), serve to fracture Pakistan-Afghan relations, benefiting Indian interests. Furthermore, the network’s alignment with Modi’s policies risks eroding media integrity, transforming news into state propaganda.
Following Recommendations
- The UN and FATF should investigate India’s alleged use of media outlets for disinformation campaigns.
- Global platforms must educate audiences on identifying state-sponsored propaganda.
- Pakistan should present evidence of Indian interference to international bodies like the ICJ.
- The ICC and global press councils must sanction outlets platforming terrorists.
- Interpol and regional partners should enhance mechanisms to trace and counter hybrid threats.
“Journalism without a moral position is impossible. Every journalist is a moralist. It’s absolutely unavoidable.” Marguerite Duras
In dissecting The Sunday Guardian’s role, the world must confront a stark reality: media, when weaponized, becomes as destructive as any army. The challenge lies in discerning truth from orchestrated fiction, a task imperative for global stability.
