By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s telecommunications regulator on Saturday cautioned citizens against sharing unverified, inflammatory or misleading content online, warning of possible legal action as the country’s military pressed a retaliatory campaign against the Afghan Taliban and regional tensions escalated with fresh attacks on Iran.
“In view of the prevailing sensitive national situation, PTA urges all citizens to be responsible while using social media and digital platforms,” the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority said in a statement. The authority advised people “not to share, disseminate, forward or upload any unverified, inflammatory, or misleading information/content that may directly or indirectly harm the national interest, public order, or state institutions.”
Instead, it said, citizens should “share, disseminate, forward, or upload information and content that is authentic and based upon official sources and to refrain from spreading rumours and fake news.” Sharing fake news or information, the PTA added, “is liable to legal action in accordance with applicable laws.” The regulator called on Pakistanis to “act with caution, maturity, and a strong sense of national responsibility to help maintain stability and public confidence.”
The advisory came as Pakistan’s armed forces continued countering an aggression from the Afghan Taliban regime along the western border. The fighting, which Pakistani authorities have framed as an “open war,” entered its third day Saturday under the banner of Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, or “Righteous Fury.” The operation was launched after the Taliban regime resorted to unprovoked firing along multiple sectors in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province — including Chitral, Khyber, Mohmand, Kurram and Bajaur — on Thursday night.
In the retaliatory response, the military destroyed several key Afghan Taliban posts, while the Pakistan Air Force conducted strikes in Kandahar, Kabul and Paktia provinces, inflicting heavy losses on the Afghan side. Pakistani authorities said 12 security personnel were killed and 27 sustained injuries during the clashes. As many as 331 Afghan Taliban have been killed so far, they reported.
The PTA statement was posted on X as the border conflict unfolded against a backdrop of broader regional instability. Israel and the United States launched an attack on Iran on Saturday, heightening security concerns across South and West Asia. Pakistan in recent years has stepped up enforcement of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, a sweeping cybercrime law that has drawn sharp criticism from rights groups for its use against journalists, activists and others accused of spreading misinformation. The PTA advisory did not specify any particular posts or platforms but emphasized the need to avoid content that could undermine public order or state institutions at a moment of heightened tension.
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