Task force proposed to 'check' anti-army campaign.

ISLAMABAD -- The government is mulling forming a special task force to check social media campaigns against the army, an official source told Dawn on Thursday.

He explained that a summary to set up the task force has been moved but was still awaiting approval. 'For now it is just a proposal.'

The proposed task force will comprise officers from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the PakAistan TeleAcommunication Authority (PTA) and the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra). The proposed task force will be assisted by the police and other law enforcement agencies and frame recommendations to check the misuse of social media.

The move came at a time when the government has accused the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and its chairman, Imran Khan, of running a vilification campaign against the military.

As widening political polarisation in the country was also reflected in the digital world, several social media trends vilifying the army and its officers have been promoted in the recent past. In Aug 2022, the military expressed strong disapproval of 'false propaganda and insensitive comments on social media' after six army officers were martyred in a helicopter crash in Balochistan. Later, the FIA constituted a team to trace and arrest those behind the campaigns.

An official of the interior ministry said eight TikTok...