Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir on Thursday warned that social media was being used as a tool to spread “anarchy”, following the military’s recent statements condemning the proliferation of propaganda and false information targeting the security forces online.

Over the past couple of years, social media campaigns against the army have escalated, reflecting broader tensions within the country’s political and social fabric. The government, often in tandem with the military, has responded with stringent measures aimed at controlling the narrative and stifling dissent.

These measures have led to numerous arrests and legal actions against journalists and social media users accused of spreading “negative propaganda” about the military and the state, resulting in restricted internet access and bans on platforms like X.

According to excerpts of his speech delivered at an Ulema-o-Mashaikh convention in Islamabad today and shared by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), COAS Munir said: “Anarchy is spread through social media.”

“If someone tries to create chaos in Pakistan, by God, we will stand before him. No power in the world can harm Pakistan because this country is built to last,” he added.

The army chief urged scholars and clerics to encourage tolerance and unity in society instead of extremism or discrimination, saying that they should “bring back moderation in the society and reject corruption in the world”.

Earlier this week on Monday, ISPR Director General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry had said that not enough was being done against “digital terrorism” under the law, allowing fake news and propaganda to spread in the country.

“It is the country’s law that has to control and curb digital terrorism [but] unfortunately, you can see that lies, propaganda — particularly on social media — fake news and doctored images continue to spread while confusion is created in the public’s mind,” he had said.

In May, the army had labelled the growing criticism directed towards it “digital terrorism” and declared a firm commitment to combat and defeat anti-military campaigns proliferating across online platforms.

The statement that marked further stiffening of the stance of the military towards online dissent and suggested an impending crackdown against the critics had come at the end of the 83rd For­mation Commanders Conference.

The military’s reaction had come against the backdrop of a post on PTI founder Imran Khan’s X account in which he urged his followers to study the Hamoodur Rehman Commission Report on the events leading to the separation of East Pakistan.

The term had featured again in the 265th Corps Commanders’ Conference on July 5. The attendees had stressed that the “onslaught of politically motivated digital terrorism, unleashed by conspirators, duly abetted by their foreign cohorts against state institutions” was meant to induce “despondency in the nation and sow discord through peddling of blatant lies, fake news, and propaganda”.

Last month, the DG ISPR had said during a press conference that a false narrative was being propagated against the army and its leadership on social media, where “digital terrorists” were using tools such as cell phones, computers, falsehood, and propaganda to impose their will on society “akin to terrorists”.

‘Khawarij are a great fitna’

The army chief also addressed a range of other topics in his address, particularly terrorism.

He said the Pakhtun community had made a lot of sacrifices in the war against terrorism and said the nation stood with it.

The army chief further said: “Khawarij are a great fitna.” COAS Munir said that criminal and smuggling mafias were supporting terrorism.

He added that there was no compulsion in religion in Islam.

The army chief said Pakistan had been hosting millions of Afghan refugees for the past four decades.

“We are explaining to them not to oppose their neighbour, brother Islamic country, and long-time friend for the sake of the Khawarij fitna,” he said, apparently referring to Pakistan’s longstanding demand from the Afghan Taliban.

On the topic of protests, he said: “We tell the people that if you want to protest, do it but remain peaceful.”

He concluded that the Kashmir dispute was an “incomplete agenda” between Pakistan and India and expressed regret at Israeli atrocities in Gaza, saying: “The heart sheds tears of seeing the atrocities on Palestine and Gaza.”