PTI Spreads Fake Propaganda on Social Media Regarding Casualties to Further Political Agenda
Islamabad: In an effort to cover up the failure of its protests, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has resorted to spreading fabricated propaganda on social media, using fake images, videos, and misleading statistics. The party is reportedly exploiting the images of Palestinian martyrs to further its political agenda, falsely linking them to the alleged deaths during its protests.
Suleman Ahmed, who fled abroad, has been accused of manipulating images of Palestinian martyrs and associating them with fictitious fatalities during the PTI protests. The propaganda is being spread under a state-enemy agenda on social media, and PTI leaders have made contradictory claims about the number of casualties. For instance, Salman Akram Raja claimed 20 deaths, Sher Afzal Marwat stated 12, while Ali Amin Gandapur and Latif Khosa alleged hundreds and even 278 deaths, respectively.
Several social media influencers linked to PTI are also fueling the negative narrative, despite official clarifications from major hospitals in Islamabad. Both PIMS (Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences) and Polyclinic hospitals have issued statements to counter the claims. PIMS reported that 36 civilians and 66 law enforcement officers were brought to the hospital with injuries, while Polyclinic clarified that no fatalities were brought in. According to the Polyclinic administration, only a few individuals with minor injuries were treated and discharged.
The spread of this false propaganda on social media aims to tarnish the reputation of state institutions and mislead the public about the true nature of the protests. PTI’s narrative of mass casualties seems to be driven by an effort to garner sympathy for its workers and to defame Pakistan internationally.
