The Pakistan government, in conjunction with the ongoing protests, instituted a Joint Task Force (JTF) to identify those who are slogging the one country with anti-state propaganda, following the orders of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif to counter the misleading narrative against institutions and security forces.
The task force, which will have ten members from various departments, will be presided over by the Chairman of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), comprising officials like the Joint Secretary of Ministry of Interior, the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and Director of FIA’s Cyber Crimes Wing. This multi-departmental task force will be assigned a common goal approach to tackle and curb propaganda.
The multidisciplinary JTF also includes members such as the Director of IT from the Ministry of IT and Telecom, a Joint Director from the Intelligence Bureau, and the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Islamabad Police. Appointees from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI) are also greatly deployed, considering the critical contribution of intelligence agencies on the matter.
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Establishing the task force, as per the official notification, emanated from the recent terrorist incidents and false reporting against Pakistan’s security forces and institutions. Authorities blame certain factors for the malicious campaigns to create trouble in the country for political ends, intending to destabilize a country during delicate times.
Establishments JTF is constituted with the sole purpose of identifying persons involved in the propagation of false narratives within and outside Pakistan. The recommendations of the task force will be available to the government within ten days. Legal action will follow against those identified as culpable, which will ensure accountability for all attempts to uproot the state.