Imran takes jibe at 'digital terror' tag

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Founder Imran Khan said on Wednesday he found it ironic that those who knew nothing about social media were the ones coining terms such as 'digital terrorism'.

The incarcerated PTI leader issued this statement amid growing concerns over the military's increasingly hardening stance on online dissent. In May of 2024, the army appeared to have had enough of the wave of criticism on social media and that is when it first used the term "digital terrorism" for certain social media activists.

The statement marked the military's hardened stance towards online dissent and suggested that a crackdown on critics was imminent. For several months, the army has been at the receiving end of social media campaigns against it. The government and military responded by joining forces to enforce stringent measures and stifle any dissent.

Such measures led to numerous arrests and legal action against journalists as well as social media users. Such online activists have been accused of spreading negative propaganda against the military and the state. Moreover, there have been several instances of restricted internet access, and notable social media platforms like X were banned.