A repeated lament from security and government officials during this week’s hijacking of the Jaffar Express in Balochistan was the spread of misinformation on social media, as non-state actors took advantage of the absence of timely, credible information from official sources.
After security forces killed all terrorists, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar condemned the rapid circulation of misleading content, stressing such speculation only serves to heighten public anxiety. Earlier, military spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry had likewise slammed the spread of fake news online, pointing the finger at neighboring India.
These warnings did little to contain the damage already done. From videos falsely claiming to show the hijackers to misleading posts about government negotiations and concocted casualty figures, public perception was shaped long before facts could emerge. This pattern isn’t new, as successive governments have adopted silence in times of crisis, creating an information vacuum that allows disinformation to flourish.
During the 2014 Army Public School attack, false reports circulated about the number of terrorists involved and the tactics used, causing widespread panic. The 2023 attack on Karachi’s Police Lines headquarters saw the spread of similar disinformation, including claims of the attackers having insider help. In both instances, the lack of immediate, verified information from official channels created space for speculation and fearmongering.
The core of the problem lies in the state’s flawed crisis communication strategy. Instead of swiftly addressing unfolding events, officials go silent for hours, issuing vague statements long after social media has already dictated the narrative. The delay allows bad actors—whether political operatives, foreign influencers, or ordinary citizens seeking attention—to fill the void with misleading content.
Countering this problem requires the government to rethink its approach to media transparency. Repeated clampdowns on mainstream news media only drive audiences toward unverified social media sources. A study conducted by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism has noted that public trust in news declines when governments are perceived to control information. A hands-off approach to independent journalism would allow trained professionals to filter out misinformation and provide accurate reporting in real time.
There is no magic button for restoring the public’s trust in the media. Reversing years of sustained damage requires facilitating the spread of verified information to the public swiftly and consistently. Failure to act will have the opposite effect, enabling the dangerous spread of misinformation and furthering chaos during future crises.