Suspect arrested over India-linked digital influence campaign: Tarar

Investigation finds suspect receives funds from India through payment gateway

Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Sunday said that investigators had uncovered an India-linked digital propaganda network aimed at spreading misinformation and anti-state content in Pakistan, a social media campaign related to the Joint Action Committee (JAC) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) was funded from across the border.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Tarar said security agencies had recently arrested a person providing digital marketing services whose activities had links to India.

He revealed investigators found that payments for promoting and amplifying social media content in Pakistan were made through payment gateways originating from India.

"During the investigation, it emerged that an entire misinformation network was operating through bot farms," Tarar said, adding that the network was used to spread "anti-state content" targeting Pakistan, its institutions, the government, the armed forces and the army chief.

According to the minister, investigators traced much of the promoted content to campaigns surrounding the JAC in AJK.

"We had been saying from day one that this JAC wanted to weaken the relationship between Kashmir and Pakistan," Tarar said the movement was part of a broader conspiracy rather than a campaign for the rights of Kashmiris.

Read: AJK suspends 20 education employees over JAAC protest

He also questioned why the group had not participated in the democratic process if it genuinely represented public interests.

Referring to previous protests in Azad Kashmir, Tarar accused the committee of encouraging violence, creating law and order problems and taking the law into its own hands by blocking roads and organising armed demonstrations.

The minister stated authorities now possessed "irrefutable evidence" linking the campaign to India.

"There should no longer be any doubt that its links lead to India, and we now have undeniable evidence," he said.

Tarar said that social media campaigns supporting the JAC were financed from India, revealing technical investigations had traced the payments.

"All the payments for the Joint Action Committee's social media content were coming from India, and this has been established through technical data," he said.

He further stated that investigators had recovered WhatsApp conversations between the arrested suspect and an Indian operator discussing payments, targeted viewership and account details.

According to Tarar, payments were transferred in small amounts to avoid detection by financial monitoring systems.

He also revealed that forensic investigators had traced the origin of several online accounts to India despite the use of virtual private networks (VPNs).

"When a VPN masks a user's location, the device itself can still be identified during forensic analysis. That is how these India-based accounts were detected," he said.

Tarar said the government was also examining digital payment gateways used in the operation and vowed that authorities would continue exposing what he called coordinated disinformation campaigns.

Read more: JAAC using 'social media to incite people'

He further stated that the network promoted sectarianism, anti-state narratives and content against the armed forces through coordinated bot activity.

The minister maintained that such campaigns sought to damage public confidence in state institutions but insisted they would not succeed.

"No one can weaken Pakistan. Such propaganda and misinformation campaigns will continue to be exposed by the government, the armed forces and our security institutions," Tarar said.

Tarar displayed examples of social media posts linked to the investigation, saying they were intended to incite violence, spread misinformation and undermine state institutions.

"These posts are related to the JAC. They encourage people to rebel and contain propaganda against the army, the country and state institutions," Tarar said.

He said the material promoted "violence, hatred and false propaganda" and was circulated across various social media platforms to influence public opinion.

Tarar said the investigation into the arrested suspect was continuing and that additional digital evidence had already been recovered.

"AI-generated images were used, while old videos and footage from other countries and locations were falsely presented as incidents from Kashmir," Tarar said.

The minister said the campaign also sought to fuel sectarian tensions and create divisions within society.

Also read: Rangers personnel martyred in Rawalakot attack by banned JAAC armed groups

Tarar said countering misinformation was the government's responsibility and that "We will continue to do so with technical expertise, just as we have exposed this conspiracy," he said.

He added that Pakistan's international standing had improved and said the government would continue working to safeguard the country's reputation.