Claims Emerge of Millions of Rupees Paid to Social Media Influencers in KP
PESHAWAR: Claims have emerged that dozens of social media influencers and online pages in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are being offered millions of rupees for their services following the imposition of governor’s rule and emergency measures in the province.
Dawn News Peshawar Bureau Chief and senior journalist Ali Akbar claimed in a post on X that social media influencers and pages were allegedly being hired for substantial monthly payments amid the changing political situation in the province.
According to the journalist, the administrator of an ordinary Facebook page was left astonished after receiving an offer of Rs600,000 per month. He added that hundreds of people were already engaged in similar activities on social media.
The claims have surfaced at a time when political tensions are high in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following the imposition of governor’s rule and the changing political landscape. The developments have also intensified the battle over political narratives at the federal and provincial levels.
حامد میر صاحب کے دعوے سے متفق ہوں، ایمرجنسی اور گورنر راج کے بعد پختونخوا میں لاکھوں کے عوض درجنوں سوشل میڈیا انفلوئنسرز کی خدمات حاصل کی گئی،ایک عام فیس بک پیج کو 6 لاکھ ماہانہ آفر ہوئی تو بندہ خیران و پریشاں ہوگیا جبکہ سینکڑوں لوگ پہلے سے یہ کام کررہے ہیں
— Ali Akbar (@AliGunjai) October 26, 2026
Hamid Mir Raises Questions About Paid Social Media Campaigns
Meanwhile, senior journalist Hamid Mir has also raised concerns about alleged payments to individuals described as pro-government journalists for promoting particular narratives on social media.
Addressing a gathering, Mir said journalists advocating press freedom often faced resistance from individuals he described as government-aligned media figures.
He claimed that some such individuals were allegedly paid between Rs500,000 and Rs600,000 for a single social media post.
Mir said one individual had publicly stated that he was offered Rs500,000 to post a tweet against a particular political party.
Expressing concern over the state of journalism in Pakistan, he said the media and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were both facing internal divisions and were struggling to protect their respective interests.
He stressed that journalists speaking out in support of press freedom or against injustices faced by fellow journalists often encountered opposition from within the media community.
آج کل کے حالات مشرف کے دور کے حالات سے زیادہ خطرناک اور سنگین ہیں ..
ابھی چند دن پہلے کی بات ہے کہ میرا کالم جنگ اخبار میں چھپا "ڈبل بیرل خان " ۔۔اخبار میں چھپ گیا لیکن دوپہر کو کسی نے فون کر کے مجھے بتایا کہ وہ جنگ کی ویب سائٹ سے کسی نے ہٹا دیا ہے ۔۔
اب پتا کر رہا ہوں کہ کیسے ہٹا ہے کوئی نہیں بتا رہا ۔۔بڑی تگودو کی ۔۔پتا کیا ۔آخرکار پتا چلا کہ "آپ کیا چاہتے ہیں ؟؟"کہ ادارہ بند ہو جائے آپکے سارے ساتھی بے روزگار ہو جائیں ۔۔
حالات وہی ہیں لیکن 2011 میں ہمیں پتا تھا کہ کون کر رہا ہے ۔ 2007 میں بھی ہمیں پتا تھا کون کر رہا ہے ۔۔اب جو لوگ ہیں کہ بہت بزدل ہیں ۔۔مکار ہیں ۔خود سامنے نہیں آتے ۔۔یہ سویلین حکومت کو آگے لگایا ہوا ہے ۔۔ اور وہ جب ہمیں ملتے ہیں تو ہاتھ جوڑتے ہیں کہ اللہ کی قسم ہم نہیں ہیں ۔۔
اس لیے ماضی کا ڈکٹیٹر جنرل پرویز مشرف اسکو میں سمجھتا ہوں کہ وہ بہتر تھا ۔۔اس میں اتنی اخلاقی جرات تو تھی کہ وہ سامنے آکر کہتا تھا کہ حامد میر تم نے یہ کام غلط کیا ہے ۔۔تم پر بین ۔۔تم پر پابندی ۔۔ختم ۔۔۔یہ تو سامنے ہی نہیں آتے ۔ایک ادارہ کہتا ہے کہ ہم نے نہیں کیا ۔دوسرا کہتا ہے کہ نہیں ہم اس میں ملوث نہیں ہیں۔۔
حامد میر
@HamidMirPAK @MunizaeJahangir— Exact Press International (@ExactPressIntl) October 24, 2026
Mir described the current situation as more dangerous and serious than the conditions prevailing during former military ruler Pervez Musharraf’s tenure.
Hamid Mir Questions Removal of His Column from Jang Website
The senior journalist also raised concerns about the removal of one of his columns, titled “Double Barrel Khan,” from the website of the Jang newspaper.
Mir said the column had been published in the newspaper, but he was informed later that afternoon that it had been removed from the publication’s website.
He said he made repeated efforts to determine how and why the article had been taken down but did not receive a clear explanation.
According to Mir, he was eventually confronted with concerns that pursuing the matter could jeopardise the institution and the jobs of his colleagues.
The claims by Ali Akbar and Hamid Mir have brought renewed attention to questions surrounding political communication, alleged paid social media campaigns and press freedom in Pakistan. The allegations regarding payments to influencers and journalists have not been independently verified.
