Not enough being done against 'digital terrorism' under the law, says Pak Army

Islamabad, Aug 5 (PTI) Pakistan's powerful Army on Monday said that not enough was being done against "digital terrorism" under the law, allowing fake news and propaganda to spread in the country.

Addressing a press conference in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, military spokesman Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif said the elements involved in “digital terrorism” and spreading propaganda to drive a wedge between armed forces and masses will face law.

"The first line of defence against digital terrorism is law. Unfortunately, the falsehood and propaganda is very high on social media, as fake news and doctored images are posted to create a confusion created in the minds of the people,” he said.

“The law is not taking its course against it, but the armed forces take it very seriously,” he said, adding that a legal action will be taken against those — either in Pakistan or abroad — involved in running propaganda against the military.

He said at least 24 militants have been killed by Pakistan's security forces in a fortnight.

“It is important to mention that to fight terrorism, the Pakistan Army, intelligence, police, and other law enforcement agencies conduct more than a hundred operations daily,” he said, adding that a total of 2,045 operations were carried out over the last 15 days to eliminate terrorists.

He also said that during the first seven months of the year, 139 soldiers have been killed in fighting against terrorists.

The spokesman declared that the Pakistan government had notified the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as "Fitna al-Khawarij", a reference to a group in earlier Islamic history which was involved in violence.

"From now on, we will use the term Fitna al-Khawarij to refer to the TTP, while all terrorists associated with the group would be termed Kharji (outcasts)," he said.

"This is because it is a mischief-making group, it’s neither an ideology nor has anything to do with Islam or Pakistan," he added.

He also termed the recent protest by Baloch nationalists as a “group of proxies” who were attacking the security forces but showed them as victims when the troops took action against the miscreants.

To a question about any change in the policy towards the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, he said there was no change in the policy towards those involved in the violence of May 9, 2023.

“There is no change in the policy, and there will be no change,” he said, crushing the hopes of the PTI leaders that the army would hold talks with the party founder Khan, who had proposed negotiations.

He also spoke at length about various activities being undertaken by the armed forces for the economic and social uplift of the masses, including educational and health institutions, medical camps, economic empowerment and investment facilitation. PTI SH HIG