Information Minister alleges India-linked misinformation network, says banned Action Committee has foreign funding

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said on Sunday an anti-Pakistan social media propaganda network linked to India’s intelligence agency has been exposed, adding the banned Joint Action Committee maintained links with Indian elements.

In a video statement, Tarar alleged that a concerted campaign had been launched on social media to incite the people against Pakistan’s official institutions.

“Those involved in the banned Action Committee will be held to account by the nation for what they have done, which is to partake in activities aimed at eroding the people’s confidence in state institutions,” he said.

The Information Minister said the network involved in spreading misinformation and anti-Pakistan narratives was linked to India and was aimed at creating mistrust amongst the people and state institutions.

“If the leaders of the banned Action Committee are serious for the welfare of Kashmir then they should take part in the democratic process by contesting elections instead of doing what I call ‘movements of use of force’,” Tarar added.

The minister further claimed that security forces had apprehended a person reportedly involved in an anti-Pakistan propaganda campaign while working under the garb of a digital marketing firm.

Tarar said initial investigations showed the suspect had reportedly received content from India, much of which was relevant to the Action Committee’s campaign and narratives on social media.

The authorities assessed that the misinformation network was linked to India and that the banned Action Committee was linked to the same network, he said.

The information minister’s allegations have not been independently verified and representatives of the Action Committee could not be immediately reached for comment.