Photo courtesy PID
Pakistan Army chief Gen. Asim Munir on Friday slammed anti-Pakistan campaigns on social media, stressing they were built on fake news aimed at creating an impression of the state losing its writ.
“Social media is being used to create an environment of chaos, despair, and panic. Through fake news, an impression is being created that the state is losing its authority,” he told a National Farmers Convention in Islamabad. The state has increasingly been struggling with countering false propaganda and fake news on social media platforms, which often goes viral, as corrections and denials rarely get the same level of views, cementing the damage done.
“But you should know that only two states were established on the bases of the Kalima: the state of Madina and Pakistan,” said the chief of Army staff, stressing this was no coincidence.
Stressing Pakistan was rich in various resources, including glaciers, rivers, mountains, and fertile land that produces some of the world’s best rice, oranges, and mangoes, and treasures like granite, gold, and copper. He recalled that Pakistan was one of Asia’s fastest growing countries in the 1960s, regretting that the state had subsequently forgotten the “three golden principles of the Quaid-e-Azam—faith, unity, and discipline—which is why we saw a decline.”
Assuring the audience that the initiatives of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) would yield results and help the country overcome its “economic crisis,” he said it would put Pakistan on the path to a progressive and prosperous future. “Farmers are backbone of our agriculture sector. It is your untiring hard work, toil and determination that plays pivotal role in ensuring food security for millions of Pakistanis,” he said, adding agriculture and animal husbandry were the professions of almost every prophet, as they required discipline, hardship, growth, and patience that yield countless rewards.
Stressing the recently launched Green Pakistan Initiative was aimed at boosting the agriculture sector, he said a large share of its income would go to the provinces. The remainder, he said, would be spent on farmers and agricultural research. “The role of the Army in this is only to serve the people and farmers,” he stressed, adding authorities would also establish agriculture malls in all districts to provide agri-related facilities to all farmers, including easy agricultural credit, cold storage chain, climate change-resistant seeds, and genetically engineered livestock.
“All types of mafia will be crushed together with the nation,” the army chief vowed.
Also in attendance at the event was interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar, who appreciated the collaborative work of ministries and departments for achieving various milestones under the SIFC umbrella and stressed the need to expedite various initiatives, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.