Information Minister Slams ‘Negative Propaganda’ Aimed at Undermining Pakistan’s Regional Peace Efforts

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Thursday said that a coordinated negative information campaign initiated from outside Pakistan was aimed at creating deliberate confusion and misinformation in an attempt to discredit Pakistan’s role for sustainable peace in the region, saying such efforts reflected the frustration of those opposed to peace.

In a statement posted on X, the minister said the campaign had been launched with “malicious intent”. “The objective of this is to create deliberate confusion and misinformation, quoting unnamed sources and officials. This unprofessional intent to discredit Pakistan’s role for sustainable peace in the region speaks of the frustration of those who are weary of peace,” Tarar said.

The minister said that credible domestic media outlets and multiple fact-checking forums had already exposed the propaganda. “We understand quite clearly that behind such stories are certain elements, mainly the detractors of peace, who are unable to come to terms with Pakistan's role for peace in the region as well as Pakistan’s continued and successful fight against foreign-sponsored and abetted terrorism,” the statement said.

Tarar said that the elimination of terrorism, resolution of disputes and prevalence of peace perhaps did not suit those behind the campaign.

However, he added that Pakistan and its “responsible media” would continue to expose what he termed the “nefarious designs” behind the coordinated effort.

“The effort and role of Pakistani media and influencers to unmask this malicious campaign is most commendable,” the statement added. Although the minister did not specifically refer to any report, CBS News earlier this week published a story alleging that Pakistan, despite presenting itself as a diplomatic conduit between Iran and the United States, had “quietly allowed Iranian military aircraft to park on its airfields, potentially shielding them from American airstrikes”.

The report had cited unnamed US officials who were said to be in the know of the matter. The Foreign Office, however, categorically rejected the report, describing it as “misleading and sensationalised” and stating that “such speculative narratives appear aimed at undermining ongoing efforts for regional stability and peace.”

“The Iranian aircraft currently parked in Pakistan arrived during the ceasefire period and bears no connection whatsoever to any military contingency or preservation arrangement,” the Foreign Office had said.

“Some aircraft and support personnel remained temporarily in Pakistan in anticipation of subsequent rounds of engagement,” it added. The ministry termed any assertion suggesting otherwise as “speculative, misleading, and entirely detached from the factual context”.