Islamabad: In a bid to divert attention from the ongoing crises in Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), the Pakistan Army has allegedy urged the country’s media to show India in poor light.
Prominent Pakistani journalist Imran Riaz Khan has claimed that journalists were given specific directions on how to cover India-related issues at a highly confidential, off-the-record military meeting.
The meeting allegedly involved Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, who serves as the director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR), as reported by Zee News.
The meeting was not meant for public discussion, Khan said, adding that journalists were given specific instructions and also asked to follow certain media directions.
One of the main points discussed during the meeting was India, the journalist claimed. He alleged that journalists were encouraged to increase their coverage of Indian affairs.
The DG ISPR reportedly instructed journalists to provide as much coverage as possible against India. They should cover Indian affairs as extensively as they could, the media personnel were told.
Khan also claimed that media outlets were encouraged to promote a narrative suggesting that India was facing serious internal problems.
The DG ISPR allegedly told them that television channels should present the narrative that India is on the verge of fragmentation, that it will break into several parts, and that nothing substantial will remain of it. The message that should get through to the common man in Pakistan is that India has reached the brink of destruction, journalists were told.
These claims have not been independently verified, the channel has said.
Khan also discussed the situation in Balochistan and Kashmir and argued that these issues deserve more attention from policymakers and decision-makers.
“The situation in Balochistan and Kashmir is becoming increasingly troubling. Pakistan’s establishment has no idea what kind of fire they are playing with,” he said.
The people living in these regions have changed and are more aware of political and social developments than before, Khan said.
“They (Pakistani officials) neither understand history, nor do they understand these people, nor do they realize the level of awareness and consciousness that people have reached at this point,” the journalist said.
There is a growing gap between official thinking and public sentiment, Khan said. He argued that many people now view issues differently from the way authorities expect.
“People have moved in a completely different direction. They are thinking differently, while the establishment is still stuck 40 or 50 years in the past,” he said.
The journalist’s claims have attracted attention online and in political discussions.
His allegations come at a time when press freedom in Pakistan remains a subject of debate among journalists, rights groups, and media watchdogs. Journalists who challenge official narratives face pressure ranging from broadcast restrictions to financial and legal challenges, critics have often said. Some reporters have also alleged harassment and intimidation.
Khan had previously said that he was subjected to an enforced disappearance, an allegation that drew widespread attention inside and outside Pakistan. Against that backdrop, his latest claims about an alleged closed-door meeting have generated fresh discussion about the relationship between the military establishment and the media.
