Monitoring Desk: John Edward James who is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan has said that he is worried about his Pakistani brothers and sisters and stated that he stands with them.
Serving in the US Army John Edward James was part of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) that killed more than 100,000 Iraqi citizens. The operation began on March 20, 2003, with airstrikes that were infamous for ‘collateral damage’ of innocent civilians mostly women and children. John Edward James served eight years in the US Army, participating in multiple tours of duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom as an AH-64 Apache pilot.
Interestingly such a military man who had been a part of killing 100,00 innocent Iraqis including women and children is so concerned about what happened in Islamabad during November 24-26 and he has accused the government of Pakistan of ‘murdering its innocent citizens’. In his message, he added that he stands with his Pakistani brothers and sisters in calling for justice and freedom’. Though it is a glaring example of intervention in the domestic affairs of any government and passing such strong and loaded remarks such as ‘murdering its innocent citizens’, it is understood that Pakistan’s foreign office would not respond to his statement for obvious reasons of avoiding exchanging any unpleasant words against any US politician, however, is it not the responsibility of Pakistan’s politicians to respond such unfounded and reckless allegations against the state of Pakistan?
He is so categorical in his accusation as he had been walking around in Islamabad when according to him the government (of Pakistan) was murdering people. He could have an opportunity to at least follow impartial media before throwing allegations on Pakistan’s government and then he could have known what happened on November 24-26 in Islamabad.
The real side of the story shows that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on 21 November directed the federal government to take all necessary measures to maintain law and order in the federal capital and directed the Interior Minister to engage with the PTI leadership in this regard. The government contacted PTI and was initially asked to postpone the protest because the Belarusian President was scheduled to visit Pakistan along with 100 plus staff including his cabinet members and a Chinese high-level delegation was also arriving in Islamabad.
PTI was subsequently offered by the government Sangjhani area as a designated location for protest instead of opting to protest in the Red Zone. However, PTI leadership refused all offered and entered Islamabad along with violent protestors who were using firearms, steel slingshots, stun grenades, tear gas shells, and nail-studded batons to force their way to Red Zone Islamabad.
John Edward James should have seen videos of PTI social media handlers to see how 1500 plus hard-core fighters were using militant tactics to attack law enforcement agencies. During this, a vehicle also ran over Rangers personnel performing duty at a check post in Islamabad, resulting death (shahadat) of three Rangers soldiers and critical injuries to five. Besides, during the violent protest, one policeman embraced Shahadat, and 232 personnel of law enforcement agencies were also grievously injured by PTI followers. This violent mob not only attacked security forces but also set multiple police vehicles on fire, showcased firearms, burnt trees and police tents, damaged properties, and created terror among the common citizens. Besides, 11 vehicles of law enforcement agencies were damaged including prison vans set ablaze.
A question arises that Western politicians such as John Edward James show concern over political events in Pakistan while forgetting the Palestinian genocide, the bombing of Syria, and the killings of thousands of innocent children and women in Lebanon, Gaza, and Syria. Is it not the responsibility of the government of Pakistan to contest John Edward James and ask him to provide proof of his allegations that the Pakistani government was ‘murdering its innocent citizens’? Undoubtedly, Pakistan’s Embassy in the United States would not respond to John’s wild allegations so the responsibility lies over the responsible media of Pakistan to raise the issue and demands John Edward James to provide proof of what he is accusing the Pakistani government for.
You cannot stress enough the importance of physical activity for mental and physical health. It is obvious if you are not physically healthy, you may experience cognitive problems and vice versa.
Your body plays an essential part in your physical and mental health. Movement is a good way to increase your well-being. Even a short brisk walk of ten minutes enhances your mood. Physical inactivity is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. It is also the cause of many chronic diseases. So there must be some global recommendations to prevent non-communicable diseases, especially in low and middle-income countries as it is difficult to bear the burden of diseases with fewer resources. Exercise is still a luxury as we have moved towards a sedentary lifestyle.
Being physically active will give you a lot of physical benefits. It will secrete certain hormones in your body which will decrease your stress level. By using your body muscles, they will not age and degenerate early. You can delay that process by being active. It will boost your immunity and protect you from infections and cancer. If you do exercise, it will decrease stress tension, and mental fatigue. It will give you an energy boost. You will have a sense of achievement and accomplishment after completing a workout. Your focus on work and motivation to work will improve. You will feel less angry and frustrated. You will have fun and your appetite will become healthy. As life gets busy we do not find time to move for our wellbeing. You can find small moments for movement throughout the day. You can easily incorporate them into your life. You can take a break from sitting or instead of calling people on the intercom go to their desks or just take a small walk during office hours. Movements are different for everyone, there is no need to compare yourself to others. Plan things outdoors that you enjoy and look forward to. Listen to the music that keeps you moving. Go to nature. The days in which your mood is low and you feel hard to get out of bed. If you show yourself some kindness and can go out you will get the biggest boost in your mood. Don’t forget to take a rest and celebrate your small achievements.
These are certain kinds of physical activity which are very beneficial for you. First of all, is walking. It is most easy to do if you walk outside. It will give you all the benefits of being in nature. It can be part of your meditation if you walk alone. If you walk with a friend it is part of your social connections. It will make your muscles strong. Brisk walking is good for your heart and brain. It will give you a sense of being well. Then you can go running and swimming. It depends upon what you enjoy and if you have some physical problem, all these three come under the heading of aerobic activity and almost every one of us with a certain level of health can do them safely.
After aerobic activity comes strengthening exercises. In which you use your muscles against resistance. You can use your own body for resistance like push up pull ups. Or you can lift weights or you can dig your garden. Strengthening exercises have their benefits and if you are healthy you must do strengthening exercises at least twice a week. Because they are important to keep you fit, healthy, and young. They help you to maintain your healthy weight and help you lose weight if you are obese or overweight. They help you to get your body out of a metabolic state, in which you have increased appetite more fatigue, and less vigor. They help you to have a good night’s sleep. They release endorphins which will make you feel good and help to have a healthy routine.
Then there are exercises for flexibility like stretching and yoga. You can do several flexibility exercises at the beginning of the workout. If you do proper stretching before working out your chances of getting a muscular injury are minimized moreover they help you perform daily activities for a longer period. It helps in improving the performance of your muscles it also increases blood supply to muscles. Balance exercises are good for mind development like yoga, Tai chi walking heel to toe. Balance is necessary for every everyday activity. So if you improve your balance your responses to stimuli get better and your chances of falling are reduced. It is especially important for older people for whom falls can lead to serious injuries that are difficult to heal. Balance training improves health and well-being from young to old, and athlete to non-athlete.
Being physically active can be achieved by a routine of activities which are mentioned above every day, and make them your habit. However, people who have a long healthy life are usually people who have a simple lifestyle and are active all the time. Being physically active is part of their life. Their lifestyle demands some sort of physical activity and they are more exposed to nature. In our sedentary or office lifestyle, we can achieve this by getting up from our chair or sofa every thirty minutes and then moving for five minutes which will keep us in a constant state of boosted metabolism.
How much physical activity is necessary? For children five to seventeen years old 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity is recommended. If they do more it is more beneficial for their health. For eighteen to sixty-five years old 150 minutes of moderate activity per week is recommended. Again this is a minimum requirement. For additional health benefits, it can be increased to 300 minutes per week. Muscle strengthening exercises are very important. They help you lose weight and keep your body young, for people above 65 years recommended level is the same as for all adults which is 150 minutes of vigorous activity per week. For the older people who cannot do any physical activity due to health conditions or certain limitations. They should move as much as they can. The benefits of being active outweigh the harm.
So I have given a brief outline of what types of physical activity one can do. But I cannot stress enough that movement is key for happiness and well-being, whatever level of your health is whichever problem you have. You should move as much as you can even if nothing is possible you can move your fingers and toes. The secret is to play with your strengths and not focus on weaknesses. Whatever body part is strong use it around your weakness and ultimately you will overcome your weakness.
The author Dr. Attia Anwar is a consultant family physician with a postgraduate degree from the Royal College of GP UK. She is a strong advocate of health and well-being and wants patient participation in decision-making regarding health.
Islamabad, Pakistan: The recent volatile press conference of former parliament member PTI Shandana Gulzar Khan echoed even in the weekly press briefing of the US State Department. This can be taken as a textbook example of how propaganda works and how PTI manages to defame a country of 250 million people with a handful of experts.
Hailing from a pro-establishment family, Shandana Gulzar Khan had been a member of the parliament of PTI on female reserved seats. Her father former Home Secretary of KPK Gulzar Khan was also elected as a member of parliament on PTI ticket. She is one of the best among PTI in manipulating facts and events and igniting rage among PTI followers.
Before the SCO meeting, she had been spreading fake news that the founding chairman of PTI was either killed or tortured in jail so his followers should attack the federation (Islamabad) to get the founding chairman Imran Khan free from jail. After the November 24-26 protest, she had been telling PTI followers (through her social media handles) that hundreds of workers had been shot dead and the federation was killing everybody in Islamabad who was raising slogans in favor of Imran Khan. Last week she held a press conference claiming that the government of Pakistan was conducting genocide of Pashtuns and the situation in Pakistan was similar to Gaza. Since January 2024, she is claiming:
Pakistan can be divided into parts as Bangladesh was crafted out of East Pakistan if former prime minister Imran Khan is not released from jail and placed in PM’s office
The existence of Pakistan is linked with the rule of Imran Khan and Pakistan shall not survive if Khan is not released and offers the government soon
The government of Pakistan is involved in a planned purge of different ethnic groups and has been killing its citizens regularly
Hundreds of PTI workers were killed during the November 24-26 events in Islamabad
She is demanding:
US congressmen to sanction Pakistan as they did Iran and Russia for human rights abuses
United Nations must take action against Pakistan to stop the genocide of the Pashtun ethnic group
International Media must gather data on killings of PTI workers and should raise the issue globally
European Union must stop export to Pakistan
In simple words, Shandana Gulzar Khan wants global economic sanctions against Pakistan and the UN process under Article 1 of the “Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide,” against Pakistan.
Having a strong cadre of PTI propagandists in the United States and European countries, Shandana Gulzar Khan has leverage to spread her absurd, unfounded, and fabricated allegations against Pakistan in Western political, legal, social, and media circles. The government of Pakistan claims that PTI’s campaigns against Pakistan are funded and planned by the Zionist lobby and House of Goldsmith (the family of an ex-wife of Imran Khan) are behind defaming Pakistan and people such as Shahdana Gulzar are pawns in the game. If so is it not strange that the government of Pakistan is avoiding fabricated allegations such as what Shahdana Gulzar is leveling against Pakistan?
One can believe that the government of Pakistan does not want bitter relations with Western media for obvious reasons therefore it avoids baseless allegations leveled by Western media but people like Shahdana and Western media could be contested by the political cadre of the government but nobody except two or three ministers of PMLN are responding baseless allegations of foreign media against Pakistan. It looks like everybody is free to blame Pakistan for serious charges such as executing genocide of an ethnic group and even then can freely live in Pakistan and can freely address the media. Has the state of Pakistan become toothless in front of those who are harming Pakistan on the alleged instruction of the Zionist lobby and the House of Goldsmith?
Islamabad, Pakistan: As many as 69 out of the 268 ‘martyrs’ of the 26 November PTI protest’ have been released from jails, exposing again that PTI’s claims are always unfounded and contrary to facts.
PTI’s list of ‘Missing Persons’ that it provided to foreign as well as local media claimed that missing persons were either killed by the security forces or had been picked to unknown destinations. In reality, these persons were either behind bars or have been released after initially being apprehended, said government officials on Sunday.
According to government officials, as per a list compiled by surveying different police stations & jails, it has been ascertained that 33 out of these 139 are in Attock Jail, 15 are in Jhelum Jail, 1 in Adiala Jail, 9 are in the custody of Rawalpindi Police while another 11 have been released. In addition, during this fact-checking mission it has also been ascertained that while the remaining names are mostly fictitious added by PTI to pad up figures; however, a few claimed missing persons are either in hiding or kept safe by Gandapur for vested reasons. It is so unfortunate that a so-called political party has made a habit of only churning out propaganda and concocting stories for spreading anarchy & chaos in the country at the behest of external powers. Such bandits deserve no leniency & must be dealt with an iron hand….
List of Claimed Missing Persons Found at Different Places
Islamabad, Pakistan: The intelligence agencies have submitted a detailed report to the Federal government about how PTI is spreading fabricated videos regarding the chaos it created in Islamabad from November 24 to 26. The target of spreading such videos is the image of the government of Pakistan, law enforcement agencies, and Pakistan as a country.
According to sources, intelligence agencies have suggested to the Federal Government that there is need of an effective online fact-checking system through the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to stop this kind of fake news and propaganda. Moreover, they have also suggested that the government should run awareness campaigns among the public that anti-national forces are now fully engaged in the anti-state ambitions of the political party. Given this situation, the people of Pakistan should not fall for any fake propaganda.
Furthermore, there are suggestive notes that the government should also view fabricated news being published in foreign media, particularly in Western media and media managers should work proactively and counter and respond to such content appearing in foreign media that is totally baseless and cooked.
One of the examples is an extraordinary campaign that is constantly targeting Pakistan with dangerous fabricated material. One such example is two articles published in one week by ‘Drop Site News’ that were cooked by two USA-based journalists who had been publishing unfounded pieces in the past against Pakistan. Some of their pieces were published in ‘The Intercept’. ‘Drop Site News’ is owned by its co-founders, journalists Jeremy Scahill and Ryan Grim who in July 2024, left’ The Intercept’ to co-found Drop Site News which operates through fiscally sponsored by the Social Security Works Education Fund.
Deep Fake News strategy designed by PTI to defame Pakistan is backed by foreign journalists
Fake news and extremism are being planned as part of a well-thought-out strategy by both internal and external elements, to destabilize Pakistan.
It has been observed that even after the disastrous failure of the final protest call given by PTI, this anarchist party is not stopping. To divert attention from the failure of the final protest call, this party is implementing a terrible plan, which needs to be remedied on time. In this regard, the party’s social media activists are conspiring to create a fake narrative through fake videos and photos. These videos will claim that anti-government prisoners are being kept in Pakistani jails and detention centers under the worst torture and inhumane conditions.
On the instructions of the PTI leadership, these videos are being produced using videos of Syrian prisons established during the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. And by calling them Pakistani jails, the malicious narrative will be fueled
Inside sources further revealed that the PTI leadership had earlier claimed that hundreds of workers were killed at D-Chowk, but as soon as this narrative lost its impact, the party alleged that hundreds of workers went missing after the government crackdown on November 26. The aim is to defame the government and the armed forces and gain international sympathy.
The most worrying aspect of such a plan is to present it in a way that the state is committing atrocities on Pashtuns on ethnic grounds. This is the same narrative often used by Hostile Intelligence Agencies (HIAs), which use it to fuel the grievances and extremist ideologies of the Pashtun and Baloch communities and justify their support for terrorist organizations like TTP (officially known as Fitna-ul-Khawarij) and BLA. The majority resolution passed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on December 6, 2024, on the alleged crackdown on Pashtuns in Islamabad has further reinforced this narrative.
Intelligence agencies are of the view that if the PTI succeeds in spreading these fake videos or news, it is likely to affect Pakistan’s reputation internationally as the party’s foreign access to social media further increases this risk, which targets political opponents, top leadership of law enforcement agencies and journalists through fake news.
Islamabad, Pakistan: The Constitutional Bench (CB) of the Supreme Court (SC) has permitted military courts to announce verdicts for 85 accused civilians and this announcement is bad news for those who are spreading chaos, and unrest and facilitating it in the country.
The bench was headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan while Justices Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Naeem Akhtar Afghan, Musarrat Hilali, and Shahid Bilal Hassan were members of the Bench.
This matter was pending for a long time, due to which at least two more May 9 were planned by the anti-national elements but failed as before. Since May 9, 2023, Mutiny, the decision has been awaited and the Pakistan Army endured the long judicial process with great patience but did not back down from its unequivocal stand on May 9. If this decision is examined carefully, it appears to be a good move by the Constitutional Bench and has emerged as a ray of hope.
Although this decision should have been made long ago so that all the incidents of chaos and unrest that have occurred since May 9, 2023, the attacks on the state and the attempts to defame Pakistan internationally could have been averted but it is better late than never.
This decision of the Constitutional Bench will also discourage the terrorists operating in the country, and the elements that are spreading chaos under the guise of politics. This is the right time to trial all those who had been involved in attacking the federal capital and also those who killed Rangers personnel on the night of November 24-25.
It has been stated several times by the government that delays in deciding cases of the May 9 Mutiny encouraged perpetrators, instigators, and facilitators of May 9 because judicial deadlock was favoring them and they were happy of not getting punishment and they had settled in their minds that judicial deadlock would continue for an indefinite period.
Now it is hoped that the decisions of the miscreants against whom the cases are pending in the military courts will start coming on time, which will complete the process of punishment. This will also have a big advantage and when these miscreants and terrorists are punished, the path of future incidents like May 9 and November 24-26 will be prevented.
This decision will also tighten the circle around the facilitators and planners of May 9 and will help in bringing them to justice because real justice will happen only when these planners and facilitators have to be held accountable.
Today’s decision has also recognized the right of civilians to trial in military courts and silenced all the voices that were trying to create this narrative that this cannot happen – now the leadership of Tehreek-e-Insaf, which played a key role in the May 9 incidents will also have to face the consequences of what they had done with the country.
This decision also makes it clear that the public must prevent their family members from becoming fuel for the development of any violent political thought, otherwise the loss will be their own.
It also proves that every person involved in attacking Army-related buildings and installations on May 9 will get the punishment including masterminds, planners, and facilitators of the May 9 tragedy.
During the hearing of the case, Justice Mandokhail categorically said that “Judicial integrity must be respected”. Justice Mandokhail warned against undermining judicial authority, stating, “Do not demean judicial decisions to the extent of calling them flawed.”
Justice Mazhar reiterated the need for detailed information on the May 9 incidents, which include the alleged ransacking of the Corps Commander’s house.
Monitoring Desk: Every year Azerbaijani people on December 12 commemorate the death anniversary of Azerbaijani Great Leader Heydar Aliyev.
Today, 21 years have passed since the death of the architect and founder of the modern and independent Azerbaijani state, world-renowned politician, and national leader of the Azerbaijani people.
Heydar Aliyev is a personality who created history. Today the Azerbaijani people commemorate the Great Leader and numerous events are organized in all regions of Azerbaijan, as well as in the capital Baku.
Heydar Aliyev was the very leader who created the modern history of Azerbaijan, becoming a true legend of his time. History remembers him as a unique leader, powerful head of state, selfless man, and a legendary figure able to take on his shoulders the difficult historical task of state building.
Heydar Aliyev’s philosophy of Azerbaijanism, after gaining independence, determined the place of Azerbaijan in the modern world and provided a strong basis for the solidarity of the world Azerbaijanis as an ideological ground for national statehood.
Today, on the 21st anniversary of the passing of National Leader Heydar Aliyev, residents of Baku and other regions and cities of the country, as well as foreign guests visit the Alley of Honors to lay flowers and wreaths at his grave.
Under the leadership of Commander-in-Chief, President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan gained victory in the 44-day Patriotic War, and its ancient lands, as well as Shusha – the pearl of Karabakh, were liberated from the occupation. President Ilham Aliyev fulfilled the dream of Heydar Aliyev and all the world Azerbaijanis by liberating the lands of Azerbaijan from occupation and now the national flag of Azerbaijan is waving in the liberated lands.
The people of Azerbaijan is proud of their great son, who devoted all his life to faithfully serving the people and motherland in the most difficult period of history. The bright memory of Heydar Aliyev, the national leader of the Azerbaijani people, a wise leader and genius personality, lives in the hearts of millions.
Monitoring Desk: After trying various tactics, PTI is eager to talk to the government and is making every effort to get a positive response from PMLN leadership.
It is not just a coincidence that immediately after the charge sheet was filed against Faiz Hameed, PTI offered talks to the government itself, whereas in the past they were adamant about talking only to the establishment.
However, knowing the hidden facts behind this surprising development and why PTI is suddenly offering talks to the government today is very important.
Firstly, after the failed show on November 26, PTI is facing defeat at every level for spreading unrest and running away, and the party policies are facing severe criticism from the party leadership, workers, and the public at large because PTI has become a byword of ‘riots and arson’ in the country while public wish to live a peaceful life in the country.
Secondly, Faiz Hameed is being tried for achieving nefarious political objectives while the separate investigation on the issues related to May 9 has greatly disturbed the PTI because the nexus between Faiz Hameed and PTI leadership including former prime minister Imran Khan is very clear and all the indications related to the Faiz Hameed case point towards the PTI leadership. Therefore, after the charge sheet, the PTI has become completely scared and is now weighing up to get some relief by talking to the government.
The third major reason is the fight for power within the party and groupings as mutual discord has divided the party into several groups. Therefore, some people in the party have started the drama of negotiations to save their political reputation, and the founding chairman will definitely do a U-turn at any time and express his indifference. Another factor is that the performance of the PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the worst, where apart from poisonous statements and attacks on the federation, there is zero performance in any matter of governance. Therefore, to divert attention from the poor performance of the provincial government, this drama is being played out.
It could have been much better for PTI if it had offered rapprochement with the government in the past and before entering into a dead end when the government was repeatedly offering them talks and the establishment had repeatedly told them that if they wanted to talk, they (PTI) should do it with political parties. It is feared that the government will not negotiate with PTI until PTI officially tenders an apology over what it did on May 9, 2023, and must accept that its leadership tried a mutiny with the help of Faiz Hameed.
Political circles in Islamabad believe that PTI has burnt itself from both ends and now it has nothing to use as leverage in any political negotiation with political leaders. “It is doomed and nothing left with PTI to negotiate with politicians who have already lost respect for PTI’s leadership because PTI had been abusing and cursing politicians and had been showing desires to talk only with men in uniform. Who cares about PTI now? nobody at least in the political cadre”, said a senior journalist when asked to comment on the situation that PTI is facing today.
The Middle East is volatile again and a kind of “Islamic Colour Revolution” has collapsed the state institutions where the swift downfall of the Syrian administrative structure is being documented. This is nothing new as Iraq, Libya, Sudan, and Yemen have already gone through this kind of event and many countries in Africa also faced the same in the past but one factor to be noted in all victim countries and this factor is that their armies were strong enough to fight external factors, but they were made ineffective through political, ‘sectarian, ethnicity or lingual divide. Once the armies were becoming soft, the country was attacked within or from outside.
It is a proven fact that the destruction of any country needs internal instability. In the Syrian case, the army had been fighting against the rebels for the past decade and a half but designers who wanted to destroy Syria kept injecting factors such as digital terrorism and pessimism to create new and expand already available social fault lines, resulting the collapse of the Syrian Army and then the collapse of order in the country within hours.
DND Thought Centre for the last four years has been collecting data about campaigns against Pakistan and the Pakistan Army. DND Thought Centre has produced over 150 reports through data collection such as international human rights reports, media articles, political statements, NGO fact sheets, commentaries of international experts from Global North, and a series of articles published in Western media. These tools are time-tested for the destruction of African as well as Middle Eastern countries and they have under used to harm Pakistan for a long.
The Chief of the Pakistan Army COAS Gen Asim Munir has been indicating digital terrorism is being used against Pakistan as a warfare tool
The DND data indicates that adversaries of Pakistan have intensified efforts to isolate Pakistan worldwide and orchestrated a propaganda campaign against it, particularly its prime institution – the Pakistan Army which is a target of sarcastic, ironical, biased, and slurry attacks through using tools of digital terrorism. In simple words, “diffusion dynamics” are being used to harm Pakistan. Sarcasm, Irony, Mockery, and violent visuals trigger the inbuilt human biases and generate questions and then such questions create curiosity and unconsciously force the recipient to react, and that reaction triggers hatred of recipients against the targeted victim.
Our army has been continuously fighting foreign-funded terrorism inside the country since 2007 and our enemies want to weaken and destabilize the Pakistani Army through this war
We need to revisit the situation where Pakistan stands and what is needed to battle such constant propaganda flow.
The human mind becomes prey to the words and the systematic use of cognitive semiotics can set and reset the target perception, this propaganda tool is not only lethal for the individual cognitive system but also toxic for the collective wisdom.
Digital Terrorism
Injecting violence within countries is a known tactic of enemies through launching hybrid warfare to achieve the goal of destroying the enemy. The Chief of the Pakistan Army COAS Gen Asim Munir has been indicating this point for a long stating digital terrorism is being used against Pakistan as a warfare tool.
Why Pakistan Army is the foremost target of Digital Terrorism?
Since the central pillar of Pakistan which is balancing the power structure to an economic influx in Pakistan is its army thereby it is the foremost and strategic target Syrian events are a wake-up call for Pakistani civilians as to why the Army is under direct attack but enemies also know that Pakistan Army is not an easy target to hit that’s why Digital Terrorism is a continues process against Pakistan Army. Our youth are the critical target of this digital terrorism but our youth must understand that we are sitting on a geographically vulnerable piece of land, at one end it is our advantage but under the weak guard, it could become our collective graveyard.
Our army has been continuously fighting foreign-funded terrorism inside the country since 2007 and our enemies want to weaken and destabilize the Pakistani Army through this war. Therefore, now we have to decide whether it is only the job of the Pakistani Army to fight the forces against the country or whether is it the collective responsibility of a nation to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Pakistan Army against the evil intentions of these terrorists. We have to decide whether we want to be an example like these countries or save our country and make an example of terrorists and thwart their nefarious aims.
Middle Eastern developments emphasize the geographical location of Pakistan and the role of the army because recent events reconfirmed that the security of the nation depends on the armed forces. There have been continuous attempts by enemy countries like India to target the Pakistani army to make our defence system ineffective. Some other forces at the national and international levels are trying to prove the Pakistan Army is unreliable and weak by involving it in corporate sector businesses. These attempts to weaken the Pakistan Army do not come only from external enemies, but some internal elements are also involved in it who want to weaken the national institution for their interests. These elements aim to mislead the public against the army and affect the strength of the country’s defence institution. Their aim is only to shine their politics, which poses threats to the integrity of Pakistan and the unity of the nation.
Using social media, these elements are constantly targeting Pakistan and the Pakistan Army with negative propaganda. The aim is to create a gap between the Pakistan Army and the people and achieve the same goals that were achieved in countries like Syria, Libya, Iraq, and Yemen. This piece of land is highly in demand by multiple parties for multiple interests. Let’s not forget that by lowering its guards, we can become another Syria, Iraq, or Afghanistan. We are living in peace and using our geographic location in our favor is just because of our defence forces.
The Faultlines
Social scientists believe that social inadequacy operates as a booster to disintegrate any society that is the victim of manipulation of its faultlines by its enemies rather social inadequacy is itself a dreadful faultline. We need to review how India and Zionist lobbies are exploiting our fault lines, which had been Islamic extremists, sectarian, and so-called Balochistan nationalism. Understandably, existing fault lines can easily be twisted. By studying the Cold War-era communication warfare, one can get an idea of how a faultline could be artificially created.
The Indian and Zionist propagandists are using highly educated propaganda experts, those who are fully aware of social and cultural semiotics and the human cognitive system. All meaning-making tools are being used by fully expert and properly guided communication soldiers. They create and craft each article, writing peace, add, and news ticker, etc. by using semiotic theories that are being used in the West. They are trying to destabilize Pakistan through all possible means working to expand our faultlines and pitching our youth against our state institutions. Indian-funded Baluchistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Tehrik e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) indoctrinated our youth that the Pakistan Army thinks only about its interests and that Pakistan’s judiciary does not give justice. Now both narratives are being promoted by PTI leaders, giving a moral justification to BLA and TTP handlers that their narrative against the state institutions of Pakistan is not unfounded.
Since war between states is now exceptionally rare, injecting violence within countries is a known tactic of creating or enhancing already present social and economic faultlines.
Dysfunctional administrative systems, un-proportionate population growth, and obsolete educational systems are helping enemies to expand faultlines within Pakistani society. Almost every country possesses immeasurable and at times dramatic social, economic, and political fault lines, and its enemies have the right to widen these fault lines if the country allows them to do so.
African and Middle Eastern countries are prime examples where ethnic, religious, sectarian, and social differences (fault lines) were used to intensify the process of their disintegration. The Rwandan genocide and Nigerian civil war, the Sudanese civil war, and the Darfur conflict can be considered prime examples in Africa while Libyan, Iraqi, and Syrian civil wars shaped sectarian differences. The Yemeni crisis is an example of the disintegration of society as well as the country through expanding ethnic and sectarian faultlines.
The Pakistan Army has always made sacrifices for the defense of its country. In today’s global situation where there are constant threats on Pakistan’s borders, our army must be strong. If we weaken our defense establishment, we will face global conspiracies like the Syrian regime, which will lead our country to destruction.
The strength and determination of Pakistan’s army is the guarantee of the country’s survival, and we must stand in complete solidarity with our army to counter every conspiracy of the enemies. To thwart the nefarious intentions of these enemies, we must continue to support our forces and expose those elements who are trying to make the institution controversial. We have to decide for ourselves whom we, as a nation, should support..? A safe and strong Pakistan is the guarantee of Pakistan’s stability and unity.
Injecting pessimism among youth
Our electronic media is playing a pivotal role in spreading doubts about state institutions and pessimism among youth that comprise over 65% of the total population. Social media has become a lethal weapon in the hands of our enemies that is a prime platform to fan hatred against state institutions and to divide the nation into groups. Now Pakistan looks divided into two main groups—– one group considers Imran Khan a man who is the only honest man left in Pakistan while another group wants to raise questions about the credibility of his rightfulness. If you question any action of Imran Khan, you are tagged as a liar, dishonest, working on a foreign agenda, and corrupt. Pakistani Youth is very promising and still fighting to survive under a dysfunctional social system and stand to fight for Pakistan. However, the only narrative that can compel the youth of any country to protect its motherland is weakening in Pakistan and that is “Respect for State institutions”.
The events taking place in Syria are a lesson for all other countries, particularly Pakistan where unrest and terrorism are weakening the stability of the country.
Islamabad, Pakistan: The recent volatile press conference of former parliament member PTI Shandana Gulzar Khan echoed even in the weekly press briefing of the...
Islamabad, Pakistan: The intelligence agencies have submitted a detailed report to the Federal government about how PTI is spreading fabricated videos regarding the chaos...
Islamabad, Pakistan: The Constitutional Bench (CB) of the Supreme Court (SC) has permitted military courts to announce verdicts for 85 accused civilians and this...
Monitoring Desk: Every year Azerbaijani people on December 12 commemorate the death anniversary of Azerbaijani Great Leader Heydar Aliyev.Today, 21 years have passed since...
The author Dr. Attia Anwar is a consultant family physician with a postgraduate degree from the Royal College of GP UK. She is a strong advocate of health and well-being and wants patient participation in decision-making regarding health.
