Lately, anti-Army content based on
fabricated facts and incidents, unfounded allegations have been incessantly
surfacing over the SMN. Stakeholders/participants including journalists,
sub-nationalist and social media groups owned by political parties have adopted
a strategy of vicious, false and misleading war propaganda to create an illusion of invincibility amongst the minds of people.
The sensational used of
SMN by prominent journalists and activists such as Nasir Jibran, Gulalai
Ismail, Matiullah Jan, Azaz Syed, Marvi Sirmed, Mohsin Dawar and Manzoor
Pashteen etc to carry out smear campaign against the Pak and its, Armed Forces
is a manifestation of their nefarious intent to hurt and disrupt the image of
Pak and its Armed Forces in the regional and international arena.
It is imperative to mention
that the claim that journalists and activists are using the garb of freedom of
speech to spread ill will and malign the security establishment of our country
on the behest of the enemies is not based on a patriots’ delusional rants.
Rather, the recurring involvement of said journalists and activists in blatant
anti-state activities established ties with the enemies of the state and the
inability to say or do anything positive for Pakistan regardless of their
influence and well-known presence in media circles have given solid grounds to
critics to question where their loyalties lie.
India is using social media as the
major battlefield as part of a Rs 7 billion media campaign exploiting all
available platforms to paint our security forces and police in a bad light.
Incentives and financial benefits are being given to Pakistan’s prominent
social activists, ethno nationalists, human rights activists and politicians to
promote India’s agenda as our public is predisposed to believe who we perceive
as “one of our own”. Indian operated 350K+ “Bot” profiles on Facebook,
Instagram and Twitter under Pakistani names (mostly Baloch and Pashtun
surnames) follow and share any anti-Pakistan news that is posted online.
Indian radio stations broadcasting
their transmissions in Pakistan’s local languages target gullible and isolated
public through manipulative statements by senior RAW officials to incite hatred
for our Army. The Indian TV channel “Zee Salam” broadcasted in Urdu and
US-based “VOA Pakistan” both serve the same purpose. As was the case with the
fall of Dhaka, such propaganda, if not countered effectively, can have
disastrous outcomes. It is only through the due diligence of our armed forces
and intelligence agencies and the strong faith of our countrymen in their
protectors that enemy backed fake movements such as the Baloch Liberation Army
were exposed for their anti-state false narrative.
Our enemies have shared 1000’s of
fake photos/videos of Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and FATA that
paint Pakistan Army in a bad light, systematically manipulating Pakistan’s
social media with clever misinformation about alleged Army atrocities against
minorities and ethnic groups. Propagandists fan the fire in a bid to malign
Pakistan’s image in front of the international community but only a few
Pakistanis have actively realized and tried to expose the enemy agenda.
Not only is our army constantly
fighting insurgency and enemy advances on our borders, but it is also now faced
with an even more sinister and well-organized threat in the form of 5th
generation warfare via media. Unless we as citizens of this country do not step
up and call out the propagandists hiding behind freedom of speech to malign our
army, we will have failed our security forces. After all, Pakistan is a free
country for the past 71 years despite constant threats because of the constant
vigilance and sacrifice of our Army. Freedom has never come for free, and we
have already asked for the blood and tears of our soldiers and officers many
times before. It is now time to repay their sacrifice, shutdown anti-state
voices and stand behind our brave men so that they continue to protect us with
renewed zeal.
