In an era where anyone with a smartphone can publish “news”, Pakistan has discovered that disinformation on Facebook, X (Twitter), YouTube, TikTok and WhatsApp is not just an irritant; it is a serious national security threat. False narratives and doctored images swirl online, stoking panic, mistrust and conflict. For example, a widely shared fake screenshot claimed militants had stolen a Pakistani F-16 jet, prompting alarm across social media (Dawn fact-checkers later debunked it). Such viral fakes – often appearing to be from trusted outlets; show how easily misinformation can deceive citizens and erode confidence in institutions.
A doctored screenshot purporting to be a news story (debunked by Dawn) claimed that TTP insurgents stole a PAF F‑16 jet. Circulated on WhatsApp and social platforms, this false image, overlaid with the fake headline “Fears Mount Over F-16 Security After Aircraft Theft Linked to TTP” briefly fooled many and illustrates how realistic fake news exploits Pakistan’s social media networks.
Social Media Disinformation and War Tensions
Disinformation has played a dangerous role in cross-border crises. During the May 2025 India-Pakistan standoff, social platforms were rife with wild falsehoods. The Guardian reported that, after India’s “Operation Sindoor” air strikes, “reports of major Pakistani defeats began to circulate online”. Viral posts; and even TV news ‘breaking’ segments, claimed India shot down Pakistani jets, captured a Pakistani pilot and seized Karachi and Lahore. Headlines like “We’ll have breakfast in Rawalpindi tomorrow” (the Pakistani army’s headquarters city) were reshared millions of times. In truth, none of these dramatic claims was true.
Likewise, even Pakistani social media was swept by half-truths and lies. Analysts noted that when Pakistan lifted its ban on X (formerly Twitter) just before the conflict, the platform immediately became “a source of misinformation”. Memes and AI-generated videos showed fictitious Pakistani victories; from downed Indian jets to fake coup rumours, alongside doctored news clippings. On the flip side, U.S. media reported how Indian outlets ran blatantly false stories about Pakistan’s defeat: one day they claimed Islamabad had fallen, Karachi port was destroyed, and Pakistan’s army chief arrested. In short, disinformation on both sides created a fog of war. A Washington Post analysis noted that Indian media had faked stories of Pakistan’s collapse, while Pakistan’s own outlets were similarly caught amplifying bogus war reports. Experts warn this “digital fog” nearly pushed two nuclear-armed neighbours into all-out war.
Domestic Political Turmoil and False Narratives
Pakistan’s politicians and institutions have also been targets. Political crises spark their own disinformation storms. After the March 2022 change of government, Pakistan saw “the latest round of viral disinformation on social media” – malicious Twitter hashtags attacking political rivals, the judiciary and even the military. In fact, an International Media Support study reported that “trending campaigns on Twitter” were used to smear judges and generals in that period. Similarly, one survey found dozens of fabricated news stories on Pakistani social media in the months after the 2018 elections – covering everything from foreign policy to the army and courts. These were not harmless errors: fake campaign promises, false military communiqués and phony legal orders have all circulated, confusing voters and undermining democratic discourse.
High-profile figures have repeatedly been at the centre of hoaxes. In May 2025, for instance, a 2013 video of a bleeding Imran Khan being assisted offstage was spun into a fake news frenzy claiming the former PM had died in custody. Many Pakistanis briefly mourned him, and some angrily blamed the Army Chief for an alleged murder. A crudely faked press release (using the Pakistan Foreign Ministry logo) confirming Khan’s death also went viral. Fact-checkers soon exposed the hoax, but not before it “aggravated already heightened tensions”, with users accusing General Asim Munir of killing Khan. This episode shows how easily personal reputation and public trust in the military can be shaken by a single doctored post.
Doctored images are commonplace. For example, Dawn has debunked numerous fake screenshots posing as its journalism. In April 2020 a fake Dawn story alleged Army Chief Gen. Bajwa was ill with COVID – a complete fabrication. In June 2018 another fake Dawn graphic suggested that Afghanistan had recognised the Durand Line, forcing an actual Afghan response on a baseless claim. More recently an image mimicking Dawn’s style claimed militants stole an F‑16. These forgeries deliberately play on the public’s trust in established news brands to lend credibility to lies.
Inside Pakistan’s social feeds, anonymous accounts and WhatsApp groups spread most misinformation. One study found 70% of Pakistanis say Facebook is the platform most often used to circulate fake news. Private chat groups on WhatsApp and Telegram amplify rumours instantaneously; whether it’s a forged memo about an ongoing protest or a fake claim of a new “security threat”. With low media literacy, many citizens accept sensational claims at face value. Over time, this casts doubt on all official information, leaving people unsure what to believe.
Impact on Social Cohesion and Public Trust
The fallout extends beyond politics. Disinformation creates social disharmony. Social media hate campaigns are organized against minorities and other groups in the society. As an example, there is a report about the growth of the so-called online hate speech against religious groups and conspiracies that cause panic against religious or ethnic minorities. A Pakistani study has pointed out that attacks on organisers of the march against women and smear campaigns against journalists have been perpetrated through disinformation. The fake narratives are in effect used to fuel sectarian and gender tensions. A rumour of persecution or blasphemy will lead to violence; real complaints, in turn, will be denied as fake news, which will disintegrate social solidarity.
Another very devastating effect is the loss of confidence in institutions. Once falsified documents purport government approvals or court decisions that never occurred, citizens will lose confidence in the system. Likewise, ineffective hoaxes on security or economy incite cynicism: once many fake alerts and fake dead people circulated, even loyal citizens start to question the military and media. According to the words of the military spokesperson of Pakistan itself in 2024, fake stories online endanger national unity and military integrity. In a scenario where citizens are unable to tell the difference between fact and fabrication, trust in any institution (parliament, courts and press included) is lost.
Military Morale and Digital “Terrorism”
The risk of morale has also been threatened by the military leadership of Pakistan. The media chief of the Army has decried an increasing wave of misinformation directed at the military in open briefings. He described about online digital terrorists who deluge news feeds with fabricated stories about activities and victims, in a bid to cause chaos and destabilize the actions of people. Following a terrorist incident in the vicinity of Bannu (October 2023), soldiers report on social media that fake news reporters had instantly circulated falsehoods about the event to mislead the public; one general described it as a targeted series of attacks aimed at destabilising the country. Fraudulent reports of defeat on the battlefield, alleged overthrow or arrest of generals can demoralize both the troops and the citizens. Every baseless share reduces the trust in the armed forces of Pakistan to protect the country.
Combating the Threat
Pakistan has started to retaliate. The government has recently passed stricter legislation against online disinformation, such as jail sentences on anyone disseminating harmful fake news (however, there is concern about freedom of the press). Local media fact-checking units and initiatives led by platform seek to kill fakes. Tik Tok platform published a guide to misinformation in times of crisis such as floods in 2025. Increased arrests; as in the case of cyber-terrorism above, is a sign that authorities are taking the matter seriously.
But technology races ahead. Indo-Pak tensions have also become the host of deepfakes and AI-created propaganda (like a fake video of the PM signing a defeat). Cessation of disinformation will not only need legislation but also media literacy, suspicion-mongering journalism and collaboration with tech-companies to label and mark fakes at an early stage. The spokesman of the army himself encouraged frequent official briefings, so as to refute the fake tales with the truth. Citizens should also learn to take time to check before they post sensational content.
To sum up, the problem of digital disinformation is an evident and an imminent threat to the national security and the social life of Pakistan. Social media also promotes lies that are virtually beyond control and this contributes to the increasing border crises, fuels political conflicts and erodes faith in institutions. Every viral falsehood is a cyber-attack on the unity of the nation; at times even more destructive than bullets. The way ahead of Pakistan must be fact-checking, media education and clear communication, whereby the truth and not fiction dictate what people think.
