The broadcast media received a warning on creating division between the Pakistani Army and the government by spreading fake news regarding the summary of names for the new DG ISI.
On Wednesday, the broadcast media distributed the story that the Prime Minister Office had received the summary from the defence ministry comprising three names for the post of DG ISI.
The whole broadcast media ran the news citing sources and it was in their chyrons in red until midnight.
Update on summary. Earlier, two separate sources at MoD & PMO claimed a summary carrying three names has landed. Now other sources claim summary has not been sent, yet. News ran on media all over.
— Gharidah Farooqi (@GFarooqi) October 13, 2021
سمری تو آج بھیجی گئی تھی اور یہی اصل حقیقت ہے۔ اور اِنہی تین ناموں کیساتھ۔ دو سو فیصد اپنی خبر پر قائم ہوں۔ وزیراعظم آفس کیطرف سے کہا بھی گیا کہ قطعاً عجلت نہیں؛پرنسپل سیکرٹری اپنے کمنٹس دیں پھر واپس بھیجیں۔ اب نیا یو-ٹرن لیا جا رہا ہے؟ 3 کیبجائے 5 نام دوبارہ۔ کسی “ع” کا انتظار۔؟
— Gharidah Farooqi (@GFarooqi) October 13, 2021
PM Office receives summary for appointment of new #ISI chief#etribune #LatestNewshttps://t.co/mWsB7sKEWm
— The Express Tribune (@etribune) October 13, 2021
وزیر اعظم کو سمری موصول ہوئی تھی جس میں ڈائریکٹر جنرل آئی ایس آئی کے عہدے کے لیے نام تھے، رپورٹ#DGISI #PMImranKhan #PTIGovernment #DawnNews
مزید پڑھیں:https://t.co/fCPO9qh1Ky— DawnNews (@Dawn_News) October 14, 2021
Earlier in a tweet, the information minister said the consultation on new DG ISI had been completed between COAS and the prime minister.
وزیر اعظم اور آرمی چیف کے درمیان نئے DG ISI کی تقرری پر مشاورت کا عمل مکمل ہو چکا ہے اور نئ تقرری کا پراسس شروع ہو چکا ہے، ایک بار پھر سول اور فوجی قیادت نے یہ ثابت کیا ہے کہ ملک کے استحکام، سالمیت اور ترقی کیلئے تمام ادارے متحد اور یکساں ہیں
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) October 13, 2021
This statement had come after a detailed meeting between the COAS and Imran Khan on Monday night.
The media outlets put the onus on sources and displayed the names of Lieutenant General Nadeem Ahmed Anjum and Lieutenant General Sarfraz Ali.
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The media reports said the summary didn’t contain the name of incumbent DG ISI Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed.
It had emerged the prime minister wanted to keep General Faiz Hameed as the DG owing to the current situation in Afghanistan but the Army chief wanted deployment of another official and a notification in this regard had been issued on October 6.
Exasperated by fake news, well-placed sources told News360 that the state institution approached media outlets and warned them to avoid creating a deliberate rift between the civil and military leadership.
They told the broadcasters that no summary comprising names has been forwarded to the prime minister and reminded them to confirm any such development before circulating it on their platforms.