Digital or Cyber Terrorism is seen as a serious challenge to the government’s efforts to fight the real-world terrorism. Both terms, real and virtual, are different in the outlook, but with the same agenda to target the very foundations of the state. Once the cyberspaces were used for financial scams, frauds, or targeting state-sensitive data, they are now used by non-state actors to spread false or fake information to widen the gap between the state and its citizens.
Some critics call this new form of digital terrorism to curtail freedom of speech or use it against the government’s opponents. However, there is a limit to everything that spreads anarchy in the country. Playing with the figures or some information to distort the image of the state through different digital platforms. This digital propaganda is the worst form as the handlers of such content are invisible. This borderless unchecked flow of disinformation is becoming a challenge for every state of the globe.
In the developed world, laws check freedom of speech by the rights groups, media, and opposition. The media can report anything based on facts, the opposition parties can criticize the government’s policies, and civil and human rights groups can raise their voices against any violations. No one is above the law and should follow the rules and ethics to move on.
Though it is very difficult technically, however, Pakistan is taking this issue of countering digital terrorism seriously. Some individuals or groups of individuals, willingly or ignorantly, are being used to take forward the agenda of the terrorists. This digital terrorism is putting pressure on the government and may distract its forces from fighting the real form of terrorism.
Some elements of their vested political gains are serving the agenda of terrorists as they are sharing false propaganda materials to tarnish the image of the state institutions. There is no easy way to counter-check fake news and posts. Such elements use different social media platforms to run campaigns against the state and its institutions.
A segment of society does believe in such articulated false information where there are challenges for the forces to defeat terrorists. Anyone can shape information in its own way through different latest technologies. Development in information technology is useful if used positively, but it is misused by vested interest groups.
Public rallies for peace are being held across the worst-terrorism-hit provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan. There is a full-scale war against terrorism going on. Reports say almost 100 of intelligence-based operations are being conducted daily. More than 30,000 of such Intelligence-based operations have been conducted so far in the last 8 months this year.
This is a fact that no war could be won without public support, however, if the security forces launch operations to wipe out terrorism, then some of the rights and politically motivated groups oppose the operations. Then how could peace be achieved without fighting them? Is there any other way to resolve this issue?
The political solution was tried and peace negotiations with the banned TTP were held two years back without yielding any results, but destruction. Pakistan offered general amnesty and rehabilitation of the militants and their families, but that was not accepted.
Pakistan has been repeatedly asking the Afghan Taliban to take action against the terrorists, who are involved in cross-border terrorist attacks, however, there has been no outcome of the calls. Islamabad says no to peace talks with the terrorists but will defeat them. The Afghan Taliban offered to facilitate another round of peace negotiations. However, based on the past track record of the terrorists, Pakistan turned down the offer.
On one hand, Pakistan is fighting the terrorists on the ground, but on the other, countering well-coordinated digital propaganda. Reports suggest foreign elements or people living abroad are involved in such disinformation. This digital false information could be checked with the support of the people. Politicians could play a proactive role in convincing people.
Pakistan sees foreign hands behind such false campaigns to create a rift between the state and its people. Chief of the Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir has publicly vowed to defeat all kinds of terrorism. Such elements would get disappointed at the end of the day.
Terrorists moving on the ground could be checked or spotted through different check posts and could be neutralized before they reach their target. Hundreds of such attempts were thwarted well before hitting the targets. Many were arrested beforehand based on human intelligence.
However, millions of people have access to digital platforms easily without a proper check and balance system. Now the government has started taking some measures to check this free flow of information. Some voices were raised over the slowing down of the internet, which also has some impact on Information technology-related businesses or online jobs. There could be serious implications for internet users but for a specific period.
Restrictions on the internet are being used in some countries successfully and now people are used to them. One may agree or disagree with these restrictions, but this should be seen broadly as it benefits the country or not.
In the last 20 years of war on terrorism in parts of Pakistan, several kinetic military operations were conducted that also affected a large segment of the society and hundreds of thousands of people were displaced, but that was compromised to eradicate terrorism. The only success of these efforts is that there is no area under the influence of the terrorists. There are some pockets of resistance, but no more no-go areas there.
Pakistan needs to devise an aggressive counter-digital terrorism strategy to defeat the lies with the truth, not mere counter-propaganda with propaganda.
