Govt forms task force against ‘malicious campaign’ following PTI claims of protesters’ deaths

The government has formed a joint task force (JTF) to identify and trace perpetrators involved in a “massive malicious campaign”, which it said was aimed at discrediting the state, it emerged on Monday.

The development comes amid claims by the PTI that at least 12 party supporters died in Islamabad as a result of firing by law enforcement agencies (LEAs) during the party’s ‘final call’ protest.

The government has repeatedly refuted the allegations, asserting that security personnel were deployed “without live ammunition”.

A day ago, the interior ministry accused the PTI of a “planned and coordinated massive fake propaganda of deaths caused by LEAs”, saying it was using old and AI-generated visuals.

A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), dated December 1, cited “recent incidents of terrorism and vandalism”, following which a “campaign has been orchestrated to discredit State of Pakistan in general and security forces in particular”.

“Multiple domestic and foreign-based media platforms are being used to perpetrate concocted, baseless and inciting news implicating the government of committing serious human rights violations.”

It contended that the campaign was aimed at creating a “serious law and order situation” and instigating “provincialism and ethnic cleavages for specific vested political interests”.

“To attract foreign audience, perpetrators of this inimical campaign attempted to create serious human rights violations through fictitious violent images and contents,” the PMO said, apparently referring to the PTI’s claims.

Consequently, the premier formulated the JTF to “inquire and pursue defaulters”, it added.

According to the PMO, the JTF’s volition would be to “identify individuals/groups and organisations involved in creating and spreading fake and misleading news surrounding political miscreants in Islamabad from Nov 24-27, 2024 including entire media campaign related to the issue”.

It would “track and trace individuals/ groups, whether in Pakistan or abroad, involved in this malicious campaign and bring them to justice as per law of the land”.

The task force would also suggest measures to bridge policy gaps and shall present its findings within 10 days, bringing perpetrators to justice “at the earliest”.

The JTF would be headed by PTA Chairman (retired) General Major Hafeezur Rehman, and comprise eight others, as well as “any other member(s) co-opted” by the body.

The body would comprise the joint secretaries of the interior and information ministries, the director of FIA’s cybercrime wing, the IT director of the information technology ministry, the Intelligence Bureau joint director, the Islamabad police chief, as well as a representative each from Inter-Services Intelligence and Military Intelligence.

The JTF formation also follows the recent constitution of a separate task force to identify and act against individuals who were allegedly involved in violence during the PTI’s protest.

Earlier in July, following the interior ministry’s claim that the PTI was involved in anti-state propaganda, the government had formed a joint investigation team to probe those creating “chaos and disorder” through “malicious social media campaigns”.

Fake propaganda of deaths, says interior ministry

On Nov 13, incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan issued a “final call” for nationwide protests on Nov 24, demanding the restoration of the PTI’s electoral mandate, the release of detained party members, and the reversal of the 26th Amendment, which he said had strengthened a “dictatorial regime”.

A day of pitched battles between security forces and PTI protesters across the federal capital ended in a hasty retreat of the party’s top leadership and supporters from the Red Zone in the early hours of Wednesday.

While the death certificates of three individuals, allegedly issued by the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) and Polyclinic hospitals were being circulated on social media, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said both hospitals have denied receiving any bodies or people with gunshot wounds.

In a statement on Sunday, the interior ministry said “social media accounts of PTI resorted to planned and coordinated massive fake propaganda of deaths caused by LEAs so as to divert attention from this senseless, violent and failed activity.”

Noting that major hospitals in Islamabad “rubbished reports” of alleged casualties caused by LEAs, it said a “sustained fabricated social media campaign, using old and AI-generated clips is being viciously undertaken by PTI and joined by other inimical elements”.

“There have been multiple false claims of deaths ranging from tens to hundreds to thousands on social media as well as PTI political leadership and their official pages,” the ministry said.

The statement further said that the “PTI and its social media propagandists” were bent on creating divisions and confusion within the society.

“Such elements, whether inside the country or abroad, will surely be held accountable under relevant laws and no one will be allowed to sow divisions, hatred and propagating fake news,” the ministry vowed.

PTI leaders have also alleged a greater number of deaths, with PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja putting the toll at around 20 and others, such as Sardar Latif Khosa, repeating unconfirmed reports of a much higher toll.

Normally, after any major incident such as a terrorist attack, natural disaster or other such happening, health authorities and institutions issue official lists of the number of dead and injured people who were brought to hospital.

But this time around, healthcare authorities have not issued any such lists, and information being shared by journalists and social media users seems to be based on anonymous reports with nothing concrete to back them up.