Information ministry rejects claims of unrest in KP

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has rejected social media claims of unrest in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), accusing several accounts of spreading misleading content to create an impression of chaos in the province.

In a fact-check shared on Monday, the ministry said some social media accounts linked to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were circulating AI-generated images, old footage and unrelated videos as evidence of unrest in KP.

According to the ministry, the material included videos of factory fires, protests over electricity load-shedding and footage from Syria. It said the content had been shared with misleading captions to portray a situation of disorder in the province.

The ministry also alleged that Afghan and Indian social media accounts were amplifying these claims alongside accounts associated with domestic political interests.

The clarification comes amid political tensions in KP following the federal government’s decision to impose emergency rule in the province. President Asif Ali Zardari approved Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recommendation on Sunday, citing the deteriorating security situation and alleged disengagement by the provincial government from counterterrorism efforts.

The decision was based on Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution, which deal with the proclamation of an emergency and the failure of constitutional machinery in a province.

The development followed PTI’s campaign demanding the release of party founder Imran Khan, faster hearings in cases against him and his wife Bushra Bibi, satisfactory medical treatment for the former prime minister and an end to restrictions on meetings with him.

PTI had initially planned to launch a long march on September 27. However, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced its postponement to October 4, citing ongoing negotiations with the federal government and security and traffic restrictions.

The march eventually began on October 4 from Gandi Chowk in Lakki Marwat under Afridi’s leadership. Participants from Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Bannu and Lakki Marwat joined the procession.

The protest movement later lost momentum in Swabi on October 11 amid heightened security measures following the imposition of emergency rule and the reported introduction of governor’s rule in KP.