Some of the most fantastic accounts from the WikiLeaks cables to hit Pakistani newsstands are not from WikiLeaks at all.
Several leading Pakistani newspapers, including The News and The Express Tribune, issued retractions Friday after publishing stories filled with anti-India propaganda based on what appears to be a hoax.
The Express Tribune said it "deeply regrets publishing the story without due verification."
The hoax was first detected by Britain's Guardian newspaper, which has access to the original WikiLeaks documents. The Guardian said it was unable to locate any of the accounts that appeared in the Pakistani news stories.
The Pakistani stories about the faked WikiLeaks cables were credited to the Online News Agency.
The stories quoted the faked cables as saying diplomats from the United States described Indian generals as vain and even genocidal. The fake cables also claimed India is secretly allied with Hindu fundamentalists and is supporting Islamic militants in Pakistan's tribal areas.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.
