Fact check: Viral PTI notification against military criticism is fake
Multiple posts circulating on social media platform X on Tuesday showed an alleged PTI notification that contained directives from party founder Imran Khan to stop criticism of the military. However, the party confirmed the notification was fake.
Imran raised eyebrows when he tasked his sister and party leader Omar Ayub last week with ‘conveying messages’ to army chief Gen Asim Munir, asking him to ‘remain neutral’. The duo had, in their remarks to the media, passed on Imran’s warning that the PML-N government was trying to pit the army, PTI and the public against each other.
This had come as a surprise, as both Imran and the party had been quite critical of the army chief and the military up to that point, especially in the wake of the arrest of party spokesperson Raoof Hasan and other social media activists over allegations of ‘digital terrorism’.
After days of speculation about a possible softening of his stance against the establishment, Imran had categorically said a day ago that his party was ready for talks with the military establishment.
The same day, journalist and anchorperson Gharidah Farooqi posted an alleged notification from the PTI on social media platform X featuring orders from Imran asking all party leaders and workers to refrain from criticising the military on television programmes.
The notification, dated July 30, also featured the PTI letterhead and Ayub’s signature as the PTI secretary general.
The caption of the post said, “PTI’s new revolution? Party guidelines issued; no criticism of the army, speak positively about the army, especially do not say anything negative about army chief General Asim Munir; action will be taken against anyone who does so.”
The post was later edited to ask, “Is this correct or not?”
The text of the alleged directive said: “Founding PTI chairman Imran Khan has ordered all party leaders and workers to refrain from criticising the army. According to his instructions, all leaders and workers participating in the media should speak positively about matters related to the army. Specifically, no negative comments should be made about army chief General Asim Munir. Action will be taken against those who violate these instructions.”
Farooqi’s post gained over 99,000 views.
The notification was also shared on X by another user, a high court lawyer who appeared to be a PML-N supporter from his previous posts, with the caption, “Imran Khan has formally asked for an NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance).”
The post racked up 76,000 views.
A fact check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in the issue of the relations between the PTI and the military establishment.
An investigation of the social media accounts of PTI spokespersons and lawyers to see whether they had addressed the matter yielded an X post on Tuesday by lawyer Naeem Haider Panjhuta, a PTI core committee member and Imran’s spokesman on legal affairs.
“Fake,” Panjhuta declared in the caption alongside the notification.
The official X account of the PTI’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa division also shared the alleged notification with a large red stamp over it that read: “Fake”.
“Please be advised that the following letter in circulation on social media is fake,” the party said.
Therefore, the fact check determined that the claim regarding an alleged PTI notification featuring Imran’s directives to party leaders to withhold criticism of the military is false.
The PTI itself denounced the viral advisory as being fake.
This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan — a project of CEJ and UNDP.