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Pakistan Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir and other top military officers on Thursday expressed concern over the spread of "propaganda and disinformation" against the armed forces, Dawn reported.
The top military officials stated that those responsible must be brought to justice. According to the Dawn, over the past couple of years, social media campaigns against the army have escalated, reflecting broader tensions within the country's political and social fabric. The government, often in tandem with the military, has responded with stringent measures aimed at controlling the narrative and stifling dissent, These measures have led to numerous arrests and legal actions against journalists and social media users accused of spreading "negative propaganda" about the military and the state, resulting in restricted internet access and bans on platforms like X. During Thursday's 84th Formation Commanders Conference at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, the COAS and senior officers went over these issues once more, the military's media wing said. In addition to reviewing the Army's operational capability to handle changing threats, the participants received a briefing on the present internal and foreign security environment, according to a statement from Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). High-ranking officials expressed concern about propaganda spread following the deployment of military personnel in Islamabad to secure key government buildings and provide a safe environment for visiting foreign delegations, the Dawn reported. "This pre-planned, coordinated, and premeditated propaganda reflects the continuity of a sinister design by certain political elements as an attempt to drive a wedge between the public & Armed Forces and institutions of Pakistan.This futile attempt, fuelled and abetted by external players, will never be successful," the statement added. According to the ISPR, the forum emphasised the need for the federal government to enact stringent laws and regulations to "check unfettered and unethical use of freedom of expression to spew venom, lies, and sow the seeds of polarisation.". "Those spreading fake news for vested political/financial interests need to be identified and brought to justice," the statement read. Previously, Gen Munir had warned that social media was being exploited to spread anarchy and false information aimed at the armed forces, while the term "digital terrorism" was now being used to describe the actions of online critics accused of spreading falsehoods. In August, during an Independence Day speech, the Army chief stressed the importance of investigating and verifying information so as not to cause consternation among the people. He had said that while the Constitution allowed for freedom of speech, it also contained "clear limits to what constitutes free speech." (ANI)
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