Army calls for tougher laws to curb divisive misinformation

COAS chairs 84th formation commanders moot Army pledges unbiased service to nation Vows to thwart bid to pitch p

RAWALPINDI:

The military's top brass on Thursday expressed concern over the "malicious propaganda" by "certain political elements" against the armed forces and called on the government to enact and enforce stringent laws and regulations to curb the misuse of freedom of expression and bring to justice those spreading fake news.

These concerns were revisited during the 84th Formation Commanders Conference at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

The conference was chaired by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Syed Asim Munir and attended by corps commanders, principal staff officers, and all formation commanders of Pakistan Army.

According to the ISPR, the participants of the meeting were briefed on the prevailing security environment, both external and internal, and reviewed the army's operational readiness to address evolving traditional and non-traditional threats.

"[The] forum noted with concern the malicious propaganda done in the aftermath of the lawful deployment of army in the capital to secure key government buildings and provide safe and secure environment for the valued visiting delegations," the military's media wing said.

"This pre-planned coordinated and premeditated propaganda reflects continuity of a sinister design by certain political elements as an attempt to drive a wedge between the public and armed forces and institutions of Pakistan," it added.

"This futile attempt, fuelled and abetted by external players, will never be successful."

According to the ISPR, the forum emphasized the need for the federal government to promulgate and implement stringent laws and regulations to "check unfettered and unethical use of freedom of expression to spew venom, lies and sow the seeds of polarization".

The statement added that "those spreading fake news for vested political/financial interests need to be identified and brought to justice".

The forum offered fateha and paid tribute to the martyrs of the armed forces, law enforcement agencies and citizens of Pakistan who sacrificed their lives for the nation's security and sovereignty.

It also lauded the law enforcement personnel who embraced martyrdom during the recent violent protests in Islamabad.

According to the ISPR, the participants also conducted a comprehensive analysis of the ongoing counterterrorism operations and expressed their resolve to continue neutralizing terrorists, their facilitators, and abettors working at the behest of hostile forces to destabilize Pakistan.

The forum decided to focus on operations against terrorists operating inside Balochistan, including BLA Majeed Brigade.

"The Army remains committed to serving the nation & public and guard against all external and internal threats without any bias and political affiliation, and any attempt to pitch innocent people against each other and use of violence as an instrument for vested gains can never be tolerated," the ISPR statement said.

The forum also expressed concern over the "unabated" use of Afghan soil against Pakistan by terrorists "especially [those] belonging to Fitna Al Khwarij".

"It is in the interest of both neighbouring Islamic countries to rather focus on mutually beneficial engagements and IAG needs to take visible measures to prevent use of its soil by the terrorists," the statement read.

The forum reiterated resolve to continue supporting all socioeconomic and development efforts being undertaken in Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa and Balochistan by the federal and provincial governments for the "well-being of the resilient people of these provinces who continue to stand tall against scourge of terrorism".

Highlighting Army's commitment to socioeconomic progress, the forum would continue to "support government efforts in fostering economic growth, cracking down on illegal spectrum and eradicating terror-crime nexus".

The forum condemned ongoing human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and reaffirmed Pakistan's unwavering political, diplomatic, and moral support for the Kashmiri people.

It also expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people, strongly condemning the atrocities in Gaza and supporting international legal measures to end military aggression.

Concluding the conference, the COAS "emphasized the importance of professionalism, operational readiness, and the Army's unwavering dedication to ensuring Pakistan's security and stability, notwithstanding any odds and challenges," the ISPR statement read.