PM Imran Khan orders probe into social media campaign against institutions: sources

• PM Imran Khan chairs meeting of PTI leaders.
• Federal Investigation Agency directed to probe matter.
• A number of politicians demand action.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday took notice and ordered relevant authorities to investigate the social media campaign against state institutions, sources told Geo News.

The decision was made during a meeting of the PTI leaders, sources said, where a report on the campaign was presented to the prime minister.

The people who had run the campaign against the institutions have also been identified, sources said, adding that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) would probe the matter.

Read more: Political leaders criticise anti-army remarks by PM's social media team

Politicians demand probe

The development comes after a number of politicians demanded PM Imran Khan and the judiciary take action against the anti-army remarks made by a PTI leader.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that the PM's social media team and MNAs' propaganda campaigns should be taken notice of as they are criticising the army's neutrality.

"It should be taken notice of, be it through the ISPR or our judiciary. We will not let such propaganda succeed,” he said in a statement, adding that it was a struggle for every institution of the country to work within its domain.

Read more: India celebrates PM Imran Khan’s statement on New Delhi’s foreign policy

PML-N leader Malik Ahmad Khan also strongly criticised PTI’s social media team. Malik said they cannot be allowed to tarnish the image of the army as any threat to the army would pose an existential crisis to the country.

PML-Q’s Salik Hussain also came down hard against the PTI leader for using strong language against the Pakistan Army and the ISI.

"Levelling baseless allegations against the Pakistan Army command and that of the ISI is intolerable. The prime minister must take action to reign in such elements or we know how to handle them," Hussain said.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry also criticised the social media accounts critical of the Pakistan Army and said they were promoting the "cause of the PML-N."

He said this is a ploy to create a rift between the prime minister and the army, which can never happen. He said we firmly believe the army is the guarantor of Pakistan’s territorial integrity.