PM directs countering India’s hybrid warfare

Imran asks authorities to expose true face of India’s BJP-led fascist govt

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Imran Khan has ordered relevant authorities to counter the lies and negative propaganda spread by the Indian media against Pakistan and to expose the true face of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) fascist government before the world.

“The BJP is carrying out baseless and negative propaganda against Pakistan which is not only aimed at diverting the global attention [away from the atrocities committed by the Indian occupation forces in the held Kashmir] but also spreading chaos in the country,” Imran Khan said on Wednesday

The prime minister was chairing a meeting on the ongoing Indian propaganda against Pakistan, especially the hybrid warfare in which the Indian media is playing a key role.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Minister for Information Shibli Faraz, Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid, Minister for Communications Murad Saeed, Special Assistant to the PM Moeed Yusuf, focal person for digital media Dr Arsalan Khalid were among the participants of the meeting

Imran Khan said the Indian media is trying to divert attention away from the illegal measures and serious human rights violations committed in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

“The Hindu fascist agenda is resulting in threats to the regional law and order situation,” he added.

Imran directed authorities to take all possible steps to thwart the negative propaganda of the Indian media and to create better awareness among the people in this regard.

“The baseless and fabricated campaign should be confronted with facts and the true face of India must be exposed before the people and the international community,” he said.

The EU DisinfoLab – a Brussels-based independent non-profit organisation focused on tackling sophisticated disinformation – on December 10 exposed the latest iteration of an Indian influence campaign aimed at defaming Pakistan within the EU institutions.

According to the EU DisinfoLab, a coordinated influence operation is being led by the New-Delhi-based Srivastava Group and amplified by Asia News International (ANI) – an Indian news agency –to malign Pakistan’s reputation.

The operation’s mission is to discredit nations in conflict with India in the region, in particular Pakistan and also China to a certain extent.

In the long run, the campaign is aimed at bolstering India’s global perception, which will ultimately allow New Delhi to bag more support from international institutions such as the EU and the UN.

DisinfoLab researchers believed the operation, which has been running for the past 15 years, has employed more than 750 fake media outlets, and more than 550 domain names in 119 countries to reinforce pro-Indian and anti-Pakistan feelings.

Meetings on energy, commodities

Imran Khan also chaired a review meeting of the energy sector.  The meeting was attended by federal ministers Omar Ayub, Khusro Bakhtiar, Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, SAPM Tabish Gohar, Nadeem Babar, Waqar Masood and relevant senior officers.

The meeting discussed improved power generation, transmission, energy mix as well as proposed projects to generate affordable electricity. 

Apart from discussing the progress on the ongoing projects, Imran Khan was apprised of the agreements reached by previous governments and their negative impact on the economy and the common man.

He was also briefed on the steps taken by the government for giving relief to the industry and the common man in spite of the coronavirus pandemic.

Expressing satisfaction over the reforms in the energy sector, Imran said providing relief to domestic consumers and provision of uninterrupted and affordable power to the industries should be given top priority. He emphasized the need for long-term and future reforms.

In a separate meeting, Imran was apprised of reduction in the price of sugar and flour as well as a significant reduction in the prices of potatoes, onions and poultry.

He was informed that the current rate of Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation has come down to 4.4 percent from last year and 0.9 percent from the same month last year.

Imran Khan termed the stabilization of food prices as the top priority of his government and directed authorities to strictly monitor demand–supply indicators to avoid any crisis.

The PM also directed the Ministry of National Food Security to prepare an annual plan in collaboration with the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics keeping in mind the demand for wheat, its current stocks and the upcoming crop.

Imran Khan also had a meeting with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman and another leader Saifullah Khan Niazi. Political situation of the country came under discussion.

The governor apprised Imran of the development projects under way in the tribal districts and opportunities provided to the youth for enabling their effective role in the development of the country.