ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) opposition party has said a task force set up by the federal government this month to counter online ‘propaganda’ against the state was meant to target the party and its supporters, with digital rights activists warning that it set a “dangerous and chilling” precedent.
Thousands of supporters of the PTI stormed Islamabad last month, demanding Khan’s release from prison. The government said protesters killed four security officers in clashes.
The PTI says 12 supporters died and “hundreds” were injured as security agencies used live ammunition rounds to disperse protesters, which authorities deny. Party leaders have described the raid on the protest site as a “massacre,” with social media platforms awash with pictures and video footage that the government has called “fake propaganda” by PTI followers. The government also says there were no civilian casualties.
On Dec. 1, the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a 10-member joint task force to identify and bring to justice suspects behind a “malicious campaign” to spread “concocted, baseless and inciting” online news, images and video content in the aftermath of the protests.
“The task force is just another sham committee to basically violate all human rights of PTI workers and leaders,” Khan’s close aide and PTI spokesperson Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari told Arab News.
“It is further an attempt to increase scrutiny and torture of PTI workers, using the recent massacre as an excuse to try to eliminate the party.”
Bukhari said the party had evidence, including burial records and death certificates, of at least 12 protesters killed, proving that the government’s claim there were no civilian casualties was false.
“We do believe that the government is doing a huge cover-up about the total deaths,” Bukhari added. “The death toll will only continue creeping further up as the government is doing all they can to cover this up.”
Speaking to the media last week, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal asked the PTI to share the names of its supporters who had been killed, saying the government had exercised “utmost restraint” to prevent bloodshed at the hands of what he described as a “violent mob.”
Last week, Pakistani journalist Mattiullah Jan was arrested after investigating claims of casualties in the PTI protest march, his lawyers said. He was released on bail on Sunday.
Arab News could not reach members of the task force or a government spokesperson for comment.
In Pakistan, a country of 240 million people, Internet use has risen at staggering rates recently owing to cheap 4G mobile Internet. Around 110 million Pakistanis were online this January, 24 million more than at the beginning of 2023, according to monitoring site DataReportal. In this environment, social media has become a hotbed of unverified news, pictures and video clips, according to fact checkers.
But digital rights also warn of the perils of deploying measures like task forces against online spaces.
Nighat Dad, executive director of the non-profit Digital Rights Foundation, said nothing could be “more dangerous and chilling” than setting up a task force without accountability mechanisms like parliamentary oversight.
“This move further entrenches a culture of impunity and raises serious concerns about transparency,” she told Arab News.
Instead of resorting to “draconian measures,” the government should have focused on building a “robust and responsive narrative” to counter disinformation and fake news.
“Establishing a task force without clearly outlining its own accountability in decision-making is a massive question mark on the government’s intent and process,” Dad added.
“Such measures not only stifle dissent but also undermine fundamental rights and democratic principles in Pakistan.”
Usama Khilji, a director at Bolo Bhi, an advocacy forum for digital rights, also said the announcement of the task force reflected shrinking democratic space in Pakistan:
“It shows the intolerance of the regime to accept any criticism from those who do not support them.”
Imran Khan’s party denounces Pakistan government task force against anti-state online campaigns
https://arab.news/rj634
Imran Khan’s party denounces Pakistan government task force against anti-state online campaigns
- Body announced to identify suspects involved in “malicious campaign” against the state following opposition protests last month
- In Pakistan, with 110 million people online, social media has become a hotbed of unverified news, pictures and video clips
‘Can’t believe he’s gone’: Azad Kashmir family mourns newlywed killed by cross-border shelling
- Usama Ishrat, 22, was killed in district Bagh due to cross-border attacks less than two weeks after getting married
- Border residents of Kashmir region bear the brunt of heavy gunfire whenever India-Pakistan tensions escalate
BAGH, AZAD KASHMIR: The walls of late Usama Ishrat’s modest two-room house in Azad Kashmir are pocked with gaping mortar holes, impossible to miss for anyone visiting the family. Shards of glass still cling to a nearby window, a stark reminder of the devastation unleashed by Indian shelling last week.
Residents living near the border in the disputed Kashmir region — administered in parts by bitter rivals India and Pakistan — have long borne the brunt of cross-border fire whenever tensions escalate.
The latest flare-up, from Wednesday to Saturday, saw both sides trade drones, missiles, fighter jets and artillery fire. In just four days, May 8 to 11, at least 31 people were killed and 123 injured across various districts of Azad Kashmir, according to official figures.
Among the dead was 22-year-old Usama Ishrat, a cashier at a local store in Bagh district. The eldest of six siblings, Ishrat had been married only days earlier, on April 26 — less than two weeks before his life was cut short by shelling on Friday.
“I married him off with great joy,” a grief-stricken Shakeela Khanum, Ishrat’s mother, told Arab News. “He was married for just 13 days. With henna still on, the bride and groom got separated like this.”
Ishrat Mehmood, the father, recalled that the attack took place at dawn on Friday, while he was standing outside his house. As mortar shells rained down, he fell and blacked out. He regained consciousness when his daughter collapsed beside him, and rushed her inside, only to find that his other two daughters had also been wounded.
That’s when he heard his daughter-in-law’s screams.
“I thought, ‘Maybe she got hit too.’ When I went there, I saw my son was drenched in blood,” he added.
Mehmood said his wounded son, bleeding from a large head injury, appeared to look at them once before passing away.
“A little bit of his brain had come out from here,” Mehmood said, gesturing toward his head. “He was martyred right there on the spot.”
Ehsam, Ishrat’s 12-year-old brother, picked up the pillow where Usama drew his final breath. His hand was immediately stained with dried blood. The pillow and its cover had already been separated. When the cover was unfolded, parts of what still appeared to carry the remnants of Ishrat’s brain matter could be seen.
“My brother’s brain…parts of it are still on this,” Ehsam said.
From the next room, Ishrat’s wife could be heard sobbing. Her family had arrived to take her back as she prepared for “iddah,” the mourning period women in Islam are required to observe following the husband’s death or in the event of a divorce.
The attack had also wounded Khanum, who said a splinter had injured her leg.
“Don’t know, a fragment or something is still inside,” she said. “Today, I am feeling it is still inside. I didn’t even try to get it out.”
Two of her daughters are being treated at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad.
The world breathed a sigh of relief when US President Donald Trump announced Washington had brokered a ceasefire between the two hostile neighbors on Saturday. After initial accusations of violations by both sides, the ceasefire continues to hold.
But for Ishrat’s family, the damage has been done.
“I want to say this to the whole world that they agreed to a ceasefire between themselves,” Ajmal Zulfiqar, his cousin, told Arab News. “But our beloved is gone. He is not going to come back.”
‘No terrorists here’: School damaged in India strikes in Azad Kashmir reopens today
- An Indian strike damaged the Al-Hadi Public School and adjoining Bilal mosque on May 7
- Authorities confirmed three deaths, one injury in overnight attack on mosque in Muzaffarabad
Muzaffarabad: The principal of a school adjacent to a mosque hit last week in an Indian strike in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Kashmir, said there were “no terrorists” there contrary to New Delhi’s claim, as the school prepared to reopen today, Tuesday.
An Indian strike damaged the school and adjoining mosque on May 7 in Muzaffarabad, the main town in the part of the disputed Kashmir region administered by Pakistan. India hit Pakistan and Azad Kashmir with missiles that day and Pakistan, vowing retaliation, said it had shot down five Indian aircraft.
Authorities confirmed three deaths and one injury following the overnight attack on Bilal mosque in Muzaffarabad, part of the worst escalation between the two nuclear-armed rivals in over two decades.
India said it struck nine “terrorist infrastructure” sites, some of them linked to an attack by militants that killed 25 Hindu tourists and one local in Indian-administered Kashmir last month. Islamabad has denied New Delhi’s allegations it was involved.
“There are no terrorists here. This is a place of worship. People offer prayers here. Our children and all the people in the vicinity say five times prayers here,” said school principal of Al-Hadi Public School, Saima Maqsood, as cleaning work continued at the school.
The schools will re-open today, Tuesday, according to a government notification.
On Monday evening, Indian premier Narendra Modi said Pakistan would have to get rid of its “terrorist infrastructure” if it wants to be “saved,” his first comments on the military clashes with Pakistan since last week’s deadly fighting between the two countries.
The military operations chiefs of India and Pakistan spoke by phone on Monday, the Indian army said, as New Delhi reopened airports and shares rose in both countries following a ceasefire that paused days of intense fighting last week.
“The world knows what happened with India. Now, it will not dare attack again,” said Bilal mosque worshipper Roshan Mughal.
“The mosque, Allah’s home, will be rebuilt. The sacrifices, the martyrdom of three people here at the mosque, and elsewhere ... have awakened Muslims and they have shown the world that Pakistan has the power to fight. Its armed forces are well prepared to defend the country.”
Pakistan appoint New Zealand’s Mike Hesson as new cricket white-ball coach
- Hesson, currently head coach of Pakistan franchise Islamabad United, has coached Kenya and New Zealand in previous stints
- Former interim white-ball coach and ex-pacer Aaqib Javed has been appointed as Director of High Performance of Pakistan cricket
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Tuesday it had appointed New Zealand’s Mike Hesson as the national cricket squad’s white-ball coach from May 26 onwards.
Hesson replaces former Pakistan fast bowler and interim white-ball coach Aaqib Javed, who was appointed to the post in November 2024. Pakistan haven’t had a full-time white-ball coach since Gary Kirsten resigned in October last year following disagreements with the cricket board.
Hesson brings vast coaching experience to the table. He has served as the head coach of various international teams such as Kenya and New Zealand in the past. He is also currently serving as head coach of the Islamabad United franchise, the defending champions of the Pakistan Super League.
“The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today announced the appointment of Mike Hesson, as the white-ball head coach of the Pakistan men’s cricket team effective from 26 May, 2025,” the PCB said in a statement.
“Hesson comes in to fill the post after evaluation of numerous applications received against the vacancy, which fell vacant after Pakistan men’s team tour to New Zealand in April.”
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi praised the appointment, saying that Hesson brings with him “a wealth of international experience and a proven track record of developing competitive sides.”
“We look forward to his expertise and leadership in shaping the future of Pakistan’s white-ball cricket,” he said in a statement.
Pakistan’s cricket analysts and commentators have blamed the national team’s lackluster performances over the past couple of years due to frequent changes in the coaching and selection staff.
Last April, former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie was appointed as Test coach on a two-year deal. However, he resigned in December just before Pakistan’s home Test series against South Africa.
Javed, meanwhile, has been appointed by the PCB as Director of High Performance, the board confirmed. Javed will be responsible for leading and overseeing the high-performance cricket program in the country which ensures athletes are equipped to perform under high pressure conditions.
“His appointment, alongside Mike Hesson as the white-ball Head Coach, marks a significant step forward in our strategic vision for Pakistan Cricket,” the board said.
Pakistan says 6 army, 5 air force, 40 civilians killed in latest India standoff
- Pakistan and India engaged in four days of fighting last week before agreeing to a ceasefire on Saturday
- Pakistan military says 121 civilians, 78 armed forces personnel injured in attacks conducted by India
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani military’s media wing said on Tuesday 11 members of the armed forces and 40 civilians had been killed in the latest military confrontation with India, vowing that future attacks would be met with a “swift, full-spectrum and decisive” response.
India and Pakistan engaged in four days of armed conflict last week, the worst between them since 1999, pounding each other with fighter aircraft, missiles, drones and artillery fire. The conflict erupted after weeks of tensions over an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22 that India blamed on Pakistan. Islamabad denies involvement.
India struck multiple Pakistani cities on Wednesday with missiles, claiming it had targeted “terrorist” camps in response to the April 22 attack. Islamabad vowed to retaliate, saying it had shot down five Indian fighter jets. Things came to a head on Saturday morning when Pakistan said India had attacked three bases, and it struck back with attacks on multiple bases in India, including a missile storage site in India’s north.
Hours later, US President Donald Trump announced he had brokered a ceasefire between the two states, calming fears of an all-out war.
“These barbaric strikes resulted in the martyrdom of 40 civilians — among them 7 women and 15 children — while 121 others sustained injuries, including 10 women and 27 children,” the army said, referring to India’s first strikes on Wednesday early morning.
“While defending the motherland with exemplary valor, 11 personnel of the Pakistan Armed Forces embraced martyrdom and 78 were wounded.”
The casualties in the army included six non-commissioned officers, while a squadron leader and four technicians in the Pakistan Air Force were also killed.
“Let there be no ambiguity: any attempt to challenge Pakistan’s sovereignty or territorial integrity, ever again, shall be met with a swift, full-spectrum, and decisive response Inshallah,” the military’s media wing concluded in its statement.
Both countries claimed victory as the fragile ceasefire came into force, with Pakistan saying it targeted several Indian military sites on Saturday and destroyed an S-400 missile defense system as part of its retaliatory ‘Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos’ operation, which translates to “Wall of Lead” in Arabic, in response to India attacking three air bases.
India has also released new satellite images showing serious damage to air strips and radar stations at what Indian defense officials say are multiple Pakistani military bases crippled by massive Indian airstrikes.
Bitter rivals India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, a region split between them, since gaining independence from British colonial rule in 1947. Both nations are nuclear-armed, raising global alarm every time an armed conflict breaks out between them.
PSL matches to resume on May 17 after India-Pakistan ceasefire
- PCB initially decided to move remaining eight PSL games to United Arab Emirates
- Last week PCB said it had postponed PSL matches on advice of PM Shehbaz Sharif
KARACHI: The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board said on Tuesday matches of the Pakistan Super League would resume from May 17 after being disrupted in the wake of conflict with archrival India.
The PCB initially decided to move the remaining eight PSL games to the United Arab Emirates, but last week said it had postponed the matches on the advice of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
India and Pakistan have clashed since India struck multiple locations in Pakistan last week that it said were “terrorist camps” in retaliation for a deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last month, in which it said Islamabad was involved. Pakistan denied the accusation but both countries exchanged cross-border firing and shelling, sent drones and missiles into each other’s airspace and left dozens of people dead.
A fragile ceasefire was holding between the neighbors after the agreement was reached on Saturday, following diplomacy and pressure from the United States.
“HBL PSL X picks up from where it left off! 6 teams,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi wrote on X.
“Get ready for 8 thrilling matches starting 17th May, leading up to the Grand Final on 25th May.”
On Monday, Indian cricket authorities also announced that the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament, suspended for a week amid fighting between India and Pakistan, would resume on May 17.
