Islamabad, July 26, 2026: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Sunday announced the arrest of a man allegedly involved in operating an India-linked social media disinformation network aimed at spreading anti-state content in Pakistan.
In a televised address aired on state media, Tarar said security agencies had earlier arrested a digital marketing professional whose business activities were allegedly linked to India.
The minister claimed the suspect received payments from Indian sources in exchange for running a “network of misinformation” that disseminated and amplified anti-state content on social media.
According to Tarar, Indian-funded troll farms frequently used digital marketing services to promote coordinated online campaigns.
He alleged that, with the help of bot networks, the suspect made content targeting Pakistan, its armed forces, the Chief of Army Staff, government institutions and national security go viral on various social media platforms.
During the briefing, the information minister displayed screenshots of alleged financial transactions, WhatsApp conversations and social media posts, claiming they were part of an organised campaign that promoted sectarian divisions, recent unrest in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and anti-state narratives.
Tarar further alleged that the suspect had communicated with an Indian handler through WhatsApp, where they discussed social media engagement, payments and account details.
He claimed that small payments were made through digital channels to avoid detection by financial monitoring authorities, adding that the government was investigating the digital payment gateways used in the transactions.
The minister also alleged that the suspect had confessed that much of the content he received was related to the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), which the government declared a proscribed organisation following its call for widespread protests on June 9.
Drawing a link between the arrested individual and the JAAC, Tarar claimed the government possessed “irrefutable evidence” of the group’s alleged connections with India.
The information minister alleged that the organisation sought to undermine Pakistan’s position on Kashmir and weaken the country’s relationship with the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Referring to the political situation in AJK, Tarar questioned why the group did not participate in the electoral process if it claimed to represent public interests.
He further claimed that all payments linked to the alleged social media campaign had originated from India and asserted that those involved would have to answer for allegedly receiving funding from a hostile country.
Tarar also said mainstream political parties campaigning for the upcoming AJK elections had received strong public support, which he described as evidence that the people had rejected what he called the JAAC’s “conspiratorial politics.”
The minister further alleged that Pakistan’s recent diplomatic achievements and its military success against India during the May 2025 conflict had prompted hostile elements to intensify disinformation campaigns targeting the country.
