The recent killing of journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya and the consistent barrage of conspiracy-mongering on social media led to an unprecedented press conference held by Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) and the DG Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). This was the first time that a sitting DG ISI was directly addressing questions posed to him by the media and is an indication of just how exaggerated some of the recent claims have been surrounding the death of Sharif and the general attacks against state institutions online.
The death of Arshad Sharif in Kenya is undoubtedly suspicious and merits an independent investigation—beyond a JIT like the ones that have failed to produce results before—with international journalists and investigators included. Local investigations on attacks against journalists have never brought conclusive results to light, and we need answers to serious questions about why the Kenyan police’s account of this incident is so flawed.
But as far as spreading conspiracies and false narratives go, there is no denying it; all of this can be traced back to March this year when the PTI government was ousted, even after it attempted to use a routine diplomatic communique as proof of some international conspiracy centred around sending Imran Khan packing. The attacks against the military began then and have now morphed into ludicrous accusations of foul play against journalist Arshad Sharif.
This is exactly what the military has also indicated, and its clarification regarding the unfounded accusations should be enough to rest some of the more preposterous rumours. The evidence presented by the military about the journalist’s movement and the narrative created around this has also indicated that the seemingly innocuous questions asked around his death are deliberately presented as suspicion to fan the flames of conspiracy.
However, the issue of the divisive narrative being created by PTI against other political factions and state institutions still remains severely problematic and is extremely dangerous in terms of the damage it causes. Yesterday’s press conference indicates that PTI and Imran Khan are using the narrative for political mileage and popularity while conducting sideline meetings in a bid to secure their position with institutions for whenever a return to power is possible. This means that what many had speculated looks more true by the day; the march for ‘true freedom’ is not much more than a game of power politics.
This is not the first time that PTI has indulged in this mass campaign against what it perceives to be its current opponent. In its ouster from power, finding an opponent that was bigger than the opposition looked to be the dominant strategy, and a narrative of Imran Khan versus the world was easy to get behind for the supporters. Journalists, civil society activists and opponents of PTI have already faced organised attacks on social media, questioning their credibility to nullify any criticism.
While the former Prime Minister prepares for his latest power show, it is important for all political factions to remember that their words carry weight, and the damage such narratives have last more than an electoral cycle. A journalist’s killing took place, and that is the issue that must take centre stage. How this happened, and who was involved must be ascertained above all else.