RAWALPINDI: Federal Minister for Information, Atta Tarar, on Saturday in a press conference in Rawalpindi said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is spreading fake news on social media. He claimed PTI was using old videos and artificial intelligence (AI) to create misleading content, including false reports of deaths during their protests.
Atta Tarar said that PTI is circulating images and videos from 2019, portraying them as recent events. He highlighted that videos from Gaza were also falsely labelled as scenes from D-Chowk in Islamabad. “PTI is trying to engage in politics over dead bodies, but neither PIMS nor Polyclinic hospitals have reported receiving any such cases,” he said.
He also refuted claims of sniper shootings or direct firing, challenging PTI to provide evidence of Rangers firing on protestors. “Our security forces did not use weapons,” he added.
The minister criticised PTI leaders for abandoning their supporters during the protests, claiming they fled the scene, leaving behind belongings, vehicles, and even shoes. He pointed out that the party’s leadership, including Ali Amin Gandapur, failed to lead from the front. “They fabricated stories, from 100 dead bodies to 10, but could not present a single credible piece of evidence,” he said.
Tarar warned that those arrested during the protests would face speedy trials, and no one involved in creating false narratives would be spared. He also condemned the misuse of artificial intelligence to generate fake videos, emphasising that such tactics insult the sacrifices of the country’s martyrs.
On the economic front, Tarar praised the government’s efforts under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership. “When we took over, the country was on the brink of default. Today, foreign exchange reserves have exceeded $11 billion, the stock exchange has crossed 100,000 points, and inflation has dropped to 6.9%,” he stated.
He also highlighted the visits of international delegations from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Malaysia, and Belarus, which resulted in significant agreements to boost Pakistan’s economy.
“While PTI focuses on spreading propaganda, we are working tirelessly to stabilise and grow the country,” he added.
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