Govt Cracks Down on Anti-State Social Media Campaigns; 356 FIRs Registered Nationwide

ISLAMABAD – The federal government has intensified its crackdown on anti-state propaganda circulating on social media, with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) leading efforts to identify, investigate, and prosecute those involved in online campaigns targeting state institutions.

According to official sources, the NCCIA has so far registered 356 FIRs across the country against individuals accused of running digital campaigns against the state. Additionally, the agency has initiated 789 enquiries into cases involving the posting of content deemed harmful to national security or offensive to state institutions.

The crackdown gained momentum during the recent Marka-e-Haq campaign, when anti-army content surged across digital platforms. In response, the NCCIA registered 52 cases specifically related to social media posts critical of the armed forces.

Officials said that the NCCIA played a pivotal role in supporting police investigations following the May 9, 2025 unrest, during which social media was allegedly used to orchestrate attacks on public property and military installations. Investigators traced digital footprints and analysed archived posts, which led to the conviction of several individuals in cities including Lahore, Sargodha, and Mianwali.

To bolster these efforts, the government has established multiple Joint Investigation Teams (JITs). The NCCIA is also working in close coordination with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to ensure the timely removal of harmful content and forwarding of flagged accounts to platforms for blocking.

The agency’s Open Source Intelligence Unit (OSINT) is actively monitoring social media for emerging trends and coordinated disinformation campaigns. Officials say the proactive surveillance aims to disrupt propaganda efforts before they go viral or gain widespread traction.

Read more: PTA to block unregistered mobiles across country

Government sources defend the ongoing operation, stating that it is a necessary response to growing threats in the digital information space. “Coordinated disinformation campaigns have increasingly shifted to online platforms,” an official said. “These measures are essential to protect national security and the integrity of state institutions.”

The crackdown marks a significant escalation in the state’s digital policing and reflects a broader strategy to curb what authorities describe as “weaponised disinformation” targeting Pakistan’s civil and military leadership.