ISLAMABAD:Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Sunday said that an organised India-funded digital propaganda network targeting Pakistan, its state institutions, armed forces and national leadership had been exposed, which was involved in spreading disinformation through digital marketing services and bot farms.

Speaking here on Sunday, the minister said information obtained from a detained digital marketing service provider, along with digital records and technical evidence, had revealed the network’s foreign links.

He said content related to the Joint Action Committee had also been systematically promoted as part of the campaign.

Tarar said Pakistan’s security agencies had some time ago detained an individual providing digital marketing services on social media. Investigations revealed that the individual was offering digital marketing services with links extending to India and was receiving payments from India to make specific content go viral in Pakistan.

He said access to the suspect’s digital information showed that an extensive disinformation network was being operated through bot farms to spread content against Pakistan, its sovereignty, government, armed forces and state institutions.

The minister said the detained individual confessed during interrogation that much of the content he received was related to the Joint Action Committee in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Tarar said the government had consistently maintained that the objective of the Joint Action Committee was to undermine the Kashmir cause and weaken the relationship between Pakistan and the Kashmiri people.

He said these activities were part of an organised conspiracy and had neither any connection with the Kashmir cause nor any concern for the interests of the Kashmiri people.

“If these elements are genuinely sincere to Kashmir and the Kashmir cause, why do they not become part of the electoral process, contest elections and raise public issues through democratic and constitutional means?” he asked.

The minister said whether it was the issue of refugee seats or violent protests, the group had consistently promoted the politics of violence.

He stated that during the protests,  the group martyred Kashmiri police personnel, created a law and order situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, organised armed groups, blocked roads and attempted to take the law into its own hands.

Tarar said the group had been part of a conspiracy from the outset and that its links with India were supported by irrefutable evidence.

He said the armed movement with weapons and batons was neither in the interest of the Kashmiri people nor connected to the Kashmir cause.

The minister said the objective of these conspiratorial elements was to create instability in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, harm the Kashmiri people and weaken the strong relationship between Pakistan and Kashmir.

Tarar said political parties were now holding large public gatherings across Kashmir, attracting thousands of participants.

He said the massive public participation demonstrated that the people of Kashmir had rejected the conspiratorial politics of such elements and refused to accept violence as a means of pursuing political objectives.

He said the attendance of thousands at these gatherings demonstrated that the relationship between Pakistan and Kashmir was strong and unbreakable.

He said these conspiratorial elements were answerable to the entire nation for running hate-based disinformation campaigns against Pakistan,  Armed Forces and the national leadership.

The minister questioned how the Joint Action Committee could continue claiming to represent the rights of the Kashmiri people with its links extended to India.

He said the detained individual was an expert in digital marketing and social media involved in content content go viral.

He added that the same mechanism had been used to run anti-Pakistan campaigns.

The minister said Allah Almighty had granted Pakistan honour on the diplomatic front and in Marka-e-Haq, adding that under the leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Pakistan had achieved remarkable successes recognised around the world.

He said the international community acknowledged Pakistan’s achievements on the diplomatic front and other sectors, which were a source of pride for every Pakistani.

The minister said hate propaganda sponsored by India could never succeed and that the government, armed forces and security institutions would continue exposing such campaigns.

Referring to WhatsApp conversations between the detained individual and an Indian operator, Tarar said the exchanges included discussions about the number of views, payments and account details.

He said investigations revealed that financial transactions had been broken into smaller amounts to evade Pakistan’s financial monitoring system. Instead of transferring one large amount, payments were made in several stages, he added.

Tarar said investigations continued into the procurement of digital marketing services, while the relevant institutions were also closely monitoring digital payment gateways.

The minister said the campaign was aimed not only at spreading anti-state propaganda but also at inciting sectarianism.

He said investigations were examining numerous coordinated posts directed against Pakistan’s armed forces.

The minister mentioned that organised bot networks were operating behind the social media accounts through Android applications.

Although VPNs had been used to conceal the actual location of the operators, the device on which the VPN had been installed and from which the posts had been made was India-based.

The minister said evidence had also emerged showing the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated images, old videos from other countries and regions falsely presented as footage from Kashmir, and attempts to promote sectarianism.

Tarar said the government was maintaining close vigilance over the matter and was countering such campaigns through technical means.

He said the material obtained would be presented before the nation at an appropriate time.