Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday directed the formation of a Joint Task Force (JTF) to investigate and counter “a malicious campaign aimed at discrediting” Pakistan and its state institutions on local and international media.
Led by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) chairman, the 10-member task force includes high-ranking officials from key government departments and security agencies. Among its members will be officials of the Interior Ministry; Information Ministry; the FIA’s Cyber-Crime Wing; and representatives of intelligence agencies such as ISI and MI.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the decision stems from a series of “terrorist and destructive activities” that were followed by a widespread smear campaign using local and international media platforms. It claimed that the offending campaign seeks to disseminate baseless and provocative news designed to portray state institutions as human rights violators.
The campaign, it further stated, wishes to destabilize law and order, exacerbate provincial and ethnic divisions, and achieve specific political objectives. It claimed the culprits had utilized fabricated, violent images and content to depict severe human rights violations in a bid to sway foreign audiences to their side.
The Task Force has been directed to submit its finding within 10 days to enable law enforcers to take swift action against the parties responsible. Its terms of reference call for identifying the people, organizations, and groups responsible for producing and disseminating false information about “political miscreants” in Islamabad from Nov. 24–27, as well the “media campaign” regarding the incident. Additionally, the Task Force would track down and trace people or groups involved in the “malicious campaign,” including those based outside Pakistan. Finally, the Task Force has been directed to propose steps to reduce policy gaps.
The clear reference to the PTI’s Islamabad protest in the terms of reference suggests further clashes between the opposition party and the government in the days to come.