Tag: propaganda

  • North Korea drops rubbish-filled balloons on South Korea

    North Korea drops rubbish-filled balloons on South Korea

    North Korea just dropped at least 260 filth-filled balloons on South Korea, prompting officials to warn residents to stay indoors.

    South Korea’s army cautioned the public against touching the balloons and the plastic bags attached to them because they contain “filthy waste and trash”.
    The balloons have been found in eight of nine provinces in South Korea and are now being investigated.

    The recent incident comes days after North Korea said it would retaliate against the “frequent scattering of leaflets and other rubbish” in border areas by activists in the South.

    Photographs shared on various social media platforms show bags attached via string to white translucent balloons carrying toilet paper, dark soil, batteries, and leaflets, among other contents.

    BBC quotes South Korea’s Yonhap news agency’s report: “Some of the fallen balloons carried what appears to be faeces judging from its dark colour and odour”.

    Battle of Ballons

    North and South Korea have both used balloons in their propaganda campaigns since the Korean War in the 1950s.

    South Korea’s military had earlier said it was investigating whether there were any North Korean propaganda leaflets in the balloons.

    Earlier this month, a South Korea-based activist group claimed it had sent 20 balloons carrying choco pies, leaflets, and USB sticks containing Korean pop music and music videos across the border, all of which are banned in North Korea.

    Back in 2016, North Korea launched balloons southward that attacked Seoul’s leaders The balloons reportedly carried toilet paper, cigarette butts, and rubbish.

    However, Seoul police described them as “hazardous biochemical substances”.

    “It seriously threatens the safety of our people. North Korea is entirely liable for what happens due to the balloons and we sternly warn North Korea to immediately stop this inhumane and crass action,” the South’s military said.

  • Panicked govt brought students back from Kyrgyzstan over fake news, says journalist Azaz Syed

    Panicked govt brought students back from Kyrgyzstan over fake news, says journalist Azaz Syed

    Journalist Azaz Syed in his political talk show ‘Talk Shock’ recently revealed that the government of Pakistan spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to bring back students from Kyrgyzstan over “fake news and propaganda” while no other country did that.

    Syed said, “A panic spread over social media over fake news due to which students got scared and the government also panicked even though the Pakistani Ambassador over there insisted that students are safe.”

    “PM Shehbaz ordered the evacuation plan for students due to which 12 chartered planes were organized,” said The News journalist.

    Azaz added that the government government paid fines for the few illegal migrants that were present in Kyrgyzstan. “More than four thousand people returned and many of them had no money to travel further in Pakistan or to eat, so the government made those arrangements as well.”

    Azaz noted, “All of this over fake news. Look at India, their embassy released a press release for students to stay there because there are no threats. Almost 19,000 Indian students are present there and multiple other foreign citizens were also there and none of them returned.”

    He further said that most of the Pakistani students who returned “were in their initial study years while those doing their house job or final exams before graduation are still there.”

    “How will the returned students continue their studies now?” asked Azaz Syed.

    Fakhar Durrani, another senior journalist with The News, stated, “There was intense pressure on the government by PTI propaganda online that they completely panicked.”

  • Government condemns ‘political party’ for propaganda in Kyrgyzstan incident

    Government condemns ‘political party’ for propaganda in Kyrgyzstan incident

    Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on May 19 condemned a political party, a thinly veiled reference to PTI, for spreading disinformation and negative propaganda online regarding the Kyrgyzstan incident in which mobs attacked Pakistani students.

    The minister exclaimed that “wrong news” was being spread on social media by a single political party to “humiliate the government” and it is utterly condemnable.

    It should be noted that social media was flooded with news of deaths and rapes of Pakistani students which has turned out to be not true.

    “I believe that such shameful act should not be done in politics,” he stressed.

    Tarar said there was a clash between local students and Arab students, after which this incident took place. He added that the government is helping the students who want to come back.

    “Kyrgyz foreign minister has said that no deaths have occurred in the incident and that the situation is peaceful,” said Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar during a press conference.

  • No Hollywood celebrity showed up to Gal Gadot’s propaganda film screening, and Twitter is in fits

    No Hollywood celebrity showed up to Gal Gadot’s propaganda film screening, and Twitter is in fits

    Social media was outraged when it was announced that former IDF soldier, actress Gal Gadot, will be hosting a private screening for celebrities at the Museum of Tolerance, depicting the attacks of October 7. However, Twitter was in fits when Israeli supporter Eve Barlow complained that no Hollywood celebrity-including Gadot herself- had shown up for the event. Viral videos showed protests erupting outside the museum with Palestinian supporters calling for an end to the genocide in Gaza.

    “Last night at the Museum of Tolerance, Hollywood was supposed to gather to watch the footage from October 7. Not a single celebrity showed up. F*** their ribbons, and their marches and their signatures. There is no fortitude in Hollywood. They are all a bunch of cowards.”

    cowards.— Eve Barlow (@Eve_Barlow) November 9, 2023

    Twitter users were in fits at Barlow’s tweet.

  • Jaranwala and Sargodha incidents were a foreign conspiracy: IG Punajb

    Jaranwala and Sargodha incidents were a foreign conspiracy: IG Punajb

    Inspector General Police, Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar has claimed that no incident like Jaranwala and Sargodha will happen in Punjab again, asserting that the police have “broken the network” of a foreign intelligence agency and the two incidents were “a conspiracy against Pakistan”.

    Punjab Police has uploaded a 4-minute long video on X (formerly Twitter) in which Dr. Usman Anwar explains in detail what led to the two gruesome incidents. He is apparently referring to human rights organisations.

    He pointed out that Christian women were treated badly in the neighbouring country and as a result, a resolution was presented in the European Union condemning the atrocities on Muslims and Christians. Concerns were also raised in North America.

    This was followed by a series of strange incidents like the Jaranwala tragedy and then the desecration of the Holy Quran and conspiracy to harm the minority communities by inciting people started taking place — all to divert the world’s attention.

    “We need to understand this conspiracy and thwart it. More than 2500 police personnel in plain clothes have been deployed to suppress the evil elements, and such elements will be dealt with iron hands.”

    He also added: “We will not let pakistan become a scapegoat for the great injustice that was done across the border”
    IG Punjab has not named any country or intelligence agency as of yet but he assures he will “not let attention be diverted from the rapes and deaths and human rights violations” in Pakistan.

  • No, Pakistan did not cheat Turkey in the name of relief material?

    No, Pakistan did not cheat Turkey in the name of relief material?

    Senior journalist Shahid Masood has apologised for the disinformation that he passed on his show.

    The anchor had claimed on the aid sent by Pakistan to his show, ‘Live with Dr.Shahid Masood’ on GNN that the aid Islamabad had sent to Ankara after this month’s devastating earthquake, had infact been sent by Turkey when floods hit Pakistan in 2022.

    Soon after, the story went viral on social media, eventually landing on Indian news channels and websites, running propaganda against Pakistan.

    Masood has now tendered an apology for stating incorrect facts on his show.

    Masood said that as his show is live, he received a text from a Turkish number and said the words on-air. However, he apologised for the incorrect news he said on-air.

  • Bollywood’s obsession with ‘adab’ Pakistanis is out of line

    Bollywood’s obsession with ‘adab’ Pakistanis is out of line

    It’s 2023 but Bollywood can’t seem to get over its obsession of portraying lame and rather bizarre stereotypes about Pakistanis in its movies.

    Netfilx released the official trailer for Mission Majnu that features Sidharth Malhotra as an Indian spy on a covert operation to expose nuclear weapons in the heart of Pakistan that India must “neutralise”. Everything was fine till Malhotra dresses up like a ‘Muslim Pakistani’. So Indian filmmakers have a starter pack for actors playing the roles of Muslims and Pakistanis. A man with kohl-rimmed eyes who spits adaab in every sentence, wearing a namaz ki topi [skullcap] and something green in the background somewhere to show that this is a Muslim person or from the Muslim community. Women would be shown wearing lehnga aur ghagra, with lots of bangles, and yes the tradition of adaab continues for them too. However, the reality is far different.

    The matter of the fact is that Bollywood has been successfully fooling the world by portraying and creating this image to represent Pakistanis. One of the leading film industries in the world has been adamantly bent on trying to portray and represent Pakistanis as a threat. Due to this portrayal, for the longest time people believed it to be true when it comes to Pakistan.

    Bollywood has been making bad anti-Pakistan propaganda for years now but a little research would tell them that no, Pakistanis do not look, wear or talk like they depict in their movies. From Veer-Zaara in 2004 to Mission Majnu in 2023, Bollywood’s depiction of Pakistan and Pakistani lifestyle has been completely wrong. No, we don’t live in 19th century Lucknow. Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta and other cities of Pakistan don’t have men with kajal going adaab-adaab or roaming around in sherwanis as if it’s a norm.

    What is even more appalling is to witness that in India, most leading Bollywood actors are Muslims, some originating from Pakistan and yet they don’t wear and look like anything Bollywood so often depicts Muslims, be they in India or Pakistan.

    We hope that for once Bollywood comes out of its propagandist thinking and portrays ‘Pakistani Muslims’ as they are.

  • ‘Enough is enough’: Khan to reply to ‘PDM crooks’ at 5pm today

    ‘Enough is enough’: Khan to reply to ‘PDM crooks’ at 5pm today

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has said that he has had enough of the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) “cabal of crooks” who are trying to launch propaganda against him.

    Khan on September 4, alleged that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and Zardari wanted to appoint their favourite as Chief of Army Staff (COAS) because if a “strong and patriotic army chief” was appointed, they would be questioned about their corruption.

    In a tweet, the PTI chairman said, “Am following intense propaganda launched by PDM cabal of crooks against me.This stems from their being petrified of PTI’s soaring popularity.”

    “Today in Peshawar jalsa I will give proper reply to all those who have deliberately been distorting my words to malign me. Enough is enough,” said Khan.

    Pakistani Army on Monday, August 5, expressed extreme displeasure over Khan’s recent statement against the establishment and said that the institution was “aghast” over it.

    Read more: ‘Disappointing’, Pak Army says Khan should not ‘scandalise’ Army Chief selection

    “Pakistan Army is aghast at the defamatory and uncalled for statement about the senior leadership of Pakistan Army by Chairman PTI during a political rally at Faisalabad. Regrettably, an attempt has been made to discredit and undermine senior leadership of Pakistan Army at a time when the institution is laying lives for the security and safety of the people of Pakistan every day,” said the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

  • Army denies taking action against officers after Maryam Nawaz’s speech

    Army denies taking action against officers after Maryam Nawaz’s speech

    The Pakistan Army has revoked all the post-retirement benefits, including pensions and free medical coverage, for five retired army officers for their involvement in anti-army campaign.

    One ex-major general’s name is also included in the list. Action against these officials was conducted last month following legal procedures and allowing the ex-servicemen a chance to defend themselves.

    “The GHQ had proceeded against the five retired officers at least two weeks before Maryam spoke on the issue,” said one of the sources while denying the statements of some YouTubers who are connecting the military action against with a recent statement of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz.

    According to the source, the military expects the government to take action against individuals who defame the military.

    “The social media reports of 150 ex-servicemen facing the action are totally incorrect,” the source added.

  • Olympian Neeraj Chopra disappointed with ‘vested interest’ of Indian Media

    Olympian Neeraj Chopra disappointed with ‘vested interest’ of Indian Media

    Indian Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has come out in defence of his fellow javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem saying that there was nothing wrong in what Nadeem did on the field.

    He slammed netizens and Indian media for spreading propaganda.

    Chopra tweeted a video with the caption:”I would request everyone to please not use me and my comments as a medium to further your vested interests and propaganda. Sports teaches us to be together and united. I’m extremely disappointed to see some of the reactions from the public on my recent comments.”

    In the video, Neeraj says, “I want to say that one issue has come up about something I said in an interview; that I took the javelin from Arshad Nadeem, the Pakistani javelin thrower. So, a huge controversy is being created around this statement.

    “It’s a very simple thing. We (javelin throwers) keep our personal javelins at the field and everyone and anyone can use that javelin. It is a rule. So, there’s nothing wrong in it. He was just preparing for his throw with that javelin and then I asked for the javelin back.

    “So it is not such a big thing, and I am very sad that some people are using my name to create a big issue about it. I request you to not do it. Sports teaches all of us to walk together.”

    Neeraj also requested people not to use his name as a medium to further their vested interests and propagandas. “I would request everyone to please not use me and my comments as a medium to further your vested interests and propaganda. Sports teaches us to be together and united. I’m extremely disappointed to see some of the reactions from the public on my recent comments.”

    “All of us javelin throwers share a lot of love. We all have good conversations. So please refrain from saying things that will hurt us,” Neeraj concluded.

    The 23-year-old athlete is the first Gold medal winner after the 2008 Beijing Olympics for India. Abhinav Bindra was the last person to win a Gold medal for India, while Arshad stood fifth in the contest.