In a high-level meeting held under the leadership of prime minister shehbaz sharif, both civilian and military authorities agreed to adopt a more aggressive digital strategy to bolster the national narrative.
The meeting, which took place at Prime Minister house and included representatives from all four provinces as well as Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, focused on countering extremist propaganda and highlighting the adverse social impacts of terrorism.
Key decisions taken during the session included the dissemination of content on digital platforms to promote the national narrative, efforts to expose the perpetrators of the jaffar express attack, and measures to neutralise fake news circulating on social media.
The leadership emphasisd that no effort should be spared in providing the public with accurate, verified information that would effectively counter the narratives of terrorism and extremism.
Under the national action plan, the national narrative committee was tasked with creating dynamic and engaging content that not only reinforces national unity but also reaches younger audiences through films, dramas, and other digital media. This initiative is aimed at undermining extremist messages while strengthening the country’s commitment to security and harmony.
The meeting also reviewed recent events, recalling the tragic Jaffar Express attack on march 11, in which over 400 passengers were taken hostage. A subsequent two-day operation resulted in the elimination of 33 terrorists. In a press briefing on march 14, lieutenant general Ahmed Sharif detailed the losses from the incident and highlighted the successful rescue of 354 hostages, underscoring the robust response of the security forces.
Highlighting the broader regional context, the Prime Minister’s directives also included countering disinformation spread by adversarial media outlets, particularly those that have used advanced technologies such as deep fakes to distort facts and further extremist agendas. The leadership remains resolute in its mission to safeguard national security by ensuring that both traditional and digital media serve as tools to strengthen national identity and counter terror-related propaganda.
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