LAHORE: Amid the detention and subsequent bail of opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Captain (r) Safdar Awan and events surrounding it, the Indian media has gone onto a spree of coverage of trumped-up, fake news, promoting disinformation on the “civil war” in Karachi.
Since Wednesday, mainstream Indian channels including India Today, Zee News and CNN 18 have been reporting a “civil war-like situation”. The coverage follows the arrest of Safdar and subsequent accusations of the “kidnapping” of the Sindh police chief.
Safdar was arrested on Monday for slogan-mongering inside the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah the previous day. Amid claims of manhandling of Sindh police chief Mushtaq Mahar at the hand of Rangers personnel, the following day, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa ordered an immediate inquiry into the incident.
Capitalising on the chance to defame Pakistan, Indian news channels reported “clashes” between the Sindh police and the army in the country’s financial hub. A fake video was also being circulated on Twitter, claiming to show the alleged clash.
BREAKING : Civil war in Pakistan. Reported clashes between Karachi Police & Pak Army pic.twitter.com/tQsUWPx5pa
— The International Herald (@TheIntlHerald) October 20, 2020
CNN NEWS18, a partnership between Mukesh Ambani-owned TV18 and CNN International, also shared a similar video on Twitter. However, it soon deleted the video from its timeline but shared other ones, putting forward more outlandish claims.
#NewsAlert | Clashes break between Pak Army and Police.
Army takes over all Karachi Police stations.
Ex-Indian Ambassador @asajjanhar and @PramitWorld (Foreign Expert) shares his opinion.
Join the broadcast with @JamwalNews18. pic.twitter.com/bo61nxggH1
— CNNNews18 (@CNNnews18) October 21, 2020
There were also claims of “sexual humiliation”.
Women police officials of Pakistan’s Sindh province seek leave after being ridiculed and sexually humiliated by Pakistani Army
— The International Herald (@TheIntlHerald) October 20, 2020
PAKISTAN CALLS ON TWITTER TO TAKE ACTION:
Responding to the absurd claims, government ministers called on Twitter management to take notice of the disinformation.
“Indian media in hyper drive with fake news on Pakistan and unfortunate that Twitter is [deliberately ignoring it],” tweeted Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari.
Indian media in hyper drive with fake news on Pakistan & unfortunate that @TwitterSupport delib ignoring! Facebook also indulging Indian propaganda & hate posts! Similarly Islamophobia rampant but heaven forbid if any word said implying even a querying comment on holocaust! https://t.co/F6h0Q6vRwD
— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) October 22, 2020
Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi said that the Indian media propaganda was at its peak and was being fuelled by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) “circus”.
Indian media propaganda at its peak & sadly fueled by the PDM circus.
Both social & economic indicators of Pakistan are showing positive signs.
The artificially manufactured food inflation is being brought under control as well.
Pakistan on the rise under PM @ImranKhanPTI— Ali Haider Zaidi (@AliHZaidiPTI) October 22, 2020
“Both social and economic indicators of Pakistan are showing positive signs. The artificially manufactured food inflation is being brought under control as well. Pakistan is on the rise under Prime Minister Imran Khan,” he said.
Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Chairman Shehryar Khan Afridi said that Indian media is “deeply involved in a fake, fabricated and malicious propaganda campaign” to malign the country’s state institutions.
#Indian media is deeply involved in a fake, fabricated and malicious propaganda campaign to malign state institutions of #Pakistan.@Twitter needs to take action against Indian Social Media accounts who are involved in nefarious attacks of fake news against Pakistan.
— Shehryar Afridi (@ShehryarAfridi1) October 21, 2020
“Twitter needs to take action against Indian social media accounts who are involved in nefarious attacks of fake news against Pakistan.”
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Sherry Rehman stated Pakistan’s internal dissent is a sign of its “political health”.
Pakistan’s internal dissent is a sign of its political health: that democracy is never one person or view; that when freedoms are curtailed people push back;that when constitutional rights r under threat the brave speak out. Indian trolls need to get a life and look to their own https://t.co/GgQght0ZqN
— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) October 21, 2020
“That democracy is never one person or view; That when freedoms are curtailed people push back; That when constitutional rights are under threat, the brave speak out. Indian trolls need to get a life and look to their own,” she said.
