Writer: SHAY MUREED BALOCH
The Rise of Digital Propaganda: How Pakistan is Using Social Media to Silence Baloch Voices
A new wave of state-sponsored digital operatives has emerged across social media platforms, working systematically to promote government-engineered narratives aimed at undermining the revolutionary movement in Balochistan.
There is no doubt that the state is weaponizing social media to conduct psychological warfare against the pro-independence cause, spreading disinformation to obscure the truth and shift attention away from the core issues.
Balochistan, in truth, has been a conflict-ridden region for over seven decades, marked by unrelenting injustice and state violence. It is a land soaked in blood, where every drop spilled in unjust killings pleads for justice. The recent surge of digital propaganda has had a profound impact on silencing already marginalized Baloch voices, limiting their ability to be heard and acknowledged on global platforms.
This coordinated wave of pro-government social media profiles operates to project a sanitized version of events, concealing human rights abuses and spreading colonial rhetoric. These online campaigns aim to suppress the genuine voices of indigenous people while replacing them with falsehoods crafted by the state. The situation in Balochistan remains dire: one of cruelty, injustice, forced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, violations of dignity, and the broader marginalization of the Baloch population.
In the face of such atrocities, the Baloch resistance endures. But the state has shifted strategies, increasingly relying on soft power tactics to muffle dissent. In recent times, this strategy has expanded across various social media platforms, where state-backed influencers and agents are engaged in disseminating deceptive content designed to suppress the truth.
These operatives utilize multiple accounts to derail discourse on the genuine concerns of the Baloch people. Following the brutal crackdown on the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) and the imprisonment of its leaders, the state launched a coordinated smear campaign to discredit the committee. Misleading narratives aimed at tarnishing the reputations of Baloch activists have been spread through platforms such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, Instagram, and others in an attempt to justify illegal state actions.
Moreover, the government has been actively creating and managing numerous digital identities, assigning them the task of targeting and maligning Baloch political figures. These state-assigned accounts push a skewed version of reality, often labelling activists as separatists or terrorists to delegitimize their demands and further isolate them.
This digital manipulation coincides with a broader media blackout in Balochistan. Traditional media outlets are not just censored; they are willingly used as instruments to serve state interests. The press, under pressure, has become complicit in echoing state-approved versions of events, refusing to report on atrocities or question government actions.
While this occurs, young Baloch individuals are forcibly disappeared, tortured, detained in secret facilities, or murdered—only for their mutilated bodies to be discovered later. These violent actions are deliberately obscured, hidden beneath a wall of silence from both mainstream media and manipulated digital platforms.
Following intensified crackdowns on the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), the state escalated its campaign of systematic elimination, resorting to extrajudicial killings and character assassination. Government-aligned media have been reshaped to defend and rationalize these brutal acts, often portraying slain individuals as threats to national security, thereby legalizing violence and silencing opposition.
In modern warfare, propaganda is a powerful tool, especially in an era where the masses tend to believe what they see online.
In this age of artificial intelligence and digital manipulation, truth is no longer absolute; it is engineered. Today, the state is using this digital power to suppress marginalized communities, justify its actions, and project an alternate reality to the world.
As Baloch, we must recognize the importance of countering these narratives with equal force. In this age of digital control, social media is our strongest weapon. It offers us a platform to share our truths, expose state oppression, and reach a global audience that may otherwise remain unaware of our struggle. We must not fall silent.
Instead, we should embrace these platforms to debunk misinformation and counter the relentless onslaught of falsehoods. The Baloch people must create, manage, and engage more actively with online platforms to expose the decades-long pattern of abuse and injustice in Balochistan.
By using social media with purpose and professionalism, we can reclaim our narrative, confront state propaganda, and become digital warriors for justice. The Baloch nation must understand that the Pakistani government is not just employing force on the ground but also engaging in a sophisticated digital campaign of soft repression, manipulating perceptions, mobilizing bots, and orchestrating fake support online.
These fake profiles, managed by state-assigned users, are being used to flag, report, or silence Baloch content by falsely labelling it as misinformation. They operate under the guise of neutrality while working directly to discredit Baloch leaders and manipulate public opinion.
In conclusion, to defeat these tactics, we must amplify Baloch voices and stories rather than allowing them to be erased or distorted. Encouraging critical thinking and media literacy is crucial to expose propaganda and prevent the spread of fabricated narratives. Every Baloch has a responsibility to support and build independent media platforms that offer accurate, balanced reporting and challenge the state’s chokehold on information.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Balochistan Post or any of its editors.