Pakistan allocates funds to fight fake news against state institutions

The Pakistan government has allocated additional funds worth 2 billion Pakistani rupees in an effort to fight fake information targeting state institutions. The move has angered citizens as Pakistan grapples with an economic crisis marked by skyrocketing inflation, dwindling foreign reserves, and a struggling population.

The initiative, led by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) under Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and endorsed by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, aims to technologically upgrade the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) to combat “fake news”.

BUDGET CUTS FOR SCO, BIG MONEY FOR DISINFORMATION CONTROL

The country has also diverted 50 million Pakistani rupees from its contribution to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) budget to fund this new disinformation-fighting initiative.

This latest allocation includes 1.22 billion Pakistani rupees for technological upgrades and 723 million Pakistani rupees for cybersecurity enhancements within the ISPR.

MISPLACED PRIORITIES AMID ECONOMIC COLLAPSE

The timing of this decision has further angered Pakistan’s citizens, who are facing record-high inflation, poverty, and unemployment.

Critics have slammed the government for focusing on narrative control rather than addressing urgent domestic crises like healthcare, education, and food security.