By Alina Fayaz

In recent times, the sinister employment of propaganda and disinformation has emerged as a potent weapon in which efforts are directed to sow seeds of dissention and chaos, in a bid to create a wedge between the state, its institutions and the masses. The phenomenon is more pronounced in case of important countries like Pakistan, where forces inimical to the state, are using disinformation and propaganda blatantly to insinuate masses against Armed Forces and other state institutions. Funded by Zionist and Capitalist lobbies, embedded foreign journalists are using their local agents to run coordinated vilification campaigns. One recent and glaring example is the series of articles written by Ryan Grim, an infamous journalist working for an international magazine ‘The Intercept’. Incidentally, Grim's articles have always focused on Pakistan, portraying it in negative light as a country in turmoil, which is riddled with misgovernance and corruption and where the military is allegedly meddling in the political affairs of country. However, this is not the factual state of the affairs. If one can look beyond the surface, it is not difficult to discern that such writings are not the pieces of journalism but parts of a larger disinformation campaign which is essentially meant to discredit Pakistan's institutions.

Grim’s first article published on August 9, 2023, “Secret Pakistan Cable Document – US Pressure to Remove Imran Khan” was a clear signal of what was yet to come. This article which sought to reveal the pressure being applied by the U. S. on Pakistan to get rid of Imran Khan was based on anonymous sources and conjecture. Although the article had an unseemly origin, it was shared widely which resulted in inciting the anti-state feelings, while questioning Pakistan's foreign policy. Only a week later, on August 16, 2023, Grim published another article titled ‘Pakistan Confirms Secret Diplomatic Cable Showing US Pressure to Remove Imran Khan.’ Just like the previous piece, this article was based on fake news, strengthening the narrative of external interference in Pakistan’s domestic politics. Grim has been fixated on this alleged diplomatic cable, known as ‘the cipher,’ to sustain the narrative of political instability even in the absence of credible evidence. As the months went by, Grim continued to write articles, specifically designed to undermine Pakistan’s reputation. On December 18, 2023, he published “Secret Pakistan Document Undermines Espionage Case Against Imran Khan,” which used the disputed cipher one more time. This article tried to reduce the legal grounds against ex-premier of Pakistan Imran Khan by claiming that the evidence by prosecution was fabricated. Such narratives not only misled the public but also helped to encourage those, who wanted to destabilize Pakistan.

The propaganda campaign escalated in February 2024 to something more dangerous. On February 9, 2024 Grim published an article called “Historic Turnout in Pakistan is Swamping the Military’s Effort to Rig the Elections” which was an unfounded allegation against the Pakistan Army. This article was not only a direct assault on the military but an attempt to discredit democracy in Pakistan. Pakistan is a democratic country of 240 million people, who went to polls on February 8, 2024, for selecting the public representatives. In his article however, Grim questioned the legitimacy of the elections, only to destabilize society and undermine the populace’s confidence in the electoral process. Two days later, on February 11, 2024, Grim wrote “Pakistan’s Elections Latest Update – PTI’s Surge,” that added more bad taste due to the unfounded allegations of rigging in the elections. That piece aimed at denying the results of the elections’ legitimacy, and portraying those to be the consequence of rigging, instead of being the people’s choice. Grim’s account was not based on any factual analysis but on concocted conspiracy theories to undermine Pakistan’s democracy. The climax of campaign was Grim’s article on February 26, 2024, “Members of Congress Demand Biden Withhold Recognition of Coalition Claiming Power in Pakistan.” It was aimed to seriously impact the sovereignty and the position of Pakistan in the international community.

On June 27, 2024, Grim, together with another journalist Murtaza Hussain, wrote “From Prison, Imran Khan Says Top Pakistani General Betrayed Secret Deal to Stay Out of Politics.” That was another effort to create a rift between the military and the civilian authorities in Pakistan. The purpose of the authors was to depict internal strife in Pakistan, besides painting a picture of disarray and instability within Pakistan’s political elite. The recent disclosures of direct contacts between Rauf Hassan, an influential member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and infamous journalist Ryan Grim, demonstrate a worrying pattern of disinformation campaigns, intended to destabilise Pakistan. Forensic analysis conducted on the mobile phones of the PTI worker, exposed a string of messages between Rauf Hassan and Ryan Grim discussing plans to spread anti-state material on the media. These revelations prove that Grim's articles were not Ryan’s investigations as a journalist but a part of a propaganda war against Pakistan. It appears that either Rauf Hassan was writing articles from Pakistan for Ryan Grim or providing him material for his articles.

Investigations into the mobile phones of PTI workers have revealed that Hassan and Grim have been in touch with each other up to the time of this report, which was in January 2024. The contacts continued later for several months. Such exchanges were as follows: Hassan invited Grim to cover a virtual PTI convention and Grim asked for confirmation on the contents, which were considered to be sensitive to PTI leadership. The selection of topics, the nature of content and publication timings of Ryan Grim’s articles were essentially coordinated and in sync with PTI’s narrative. The common factor was their being anti-Pakistan in essence. This gives rise to several questions regarding the foreign media’s involvement in anti-state activities in Pakistan. The synchronization that has come to light through digital forensics, depicts a well-planned strategy to influence mass opinion in Pakistan, stir instability and cause insinuations. All this merit thorough investigation and counter measures to guard against the intended harm.

The dissemination of fake news and propaganda not only threatens stability of state but also erodes values of democracy and media freedom. Such efforts to sway the population and erode foundations of state, need a deliberate response. To get a clear picture, it is important to examine all the links between foreign journalists and rogue political players. Pakistan must build up its own media system to a level that it is not dominated by external forces. A consolidated and enlightened approach is quintessential to effectively address the threat posed by foreign influences.

Author: Alina Fayaz is a student of International Relations at Beaconhouse International College Islamabad, pursuing her degree alongside working as a writer, researcher, analyst, and host on certain platforms.

*Opinions expressed in this article are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of The South Asia Times