A State can survive poverty, sanctions, disasters, even war — but no state can survive a media that openly sabotages its own institutions. Pakistan today is facing not just irresponsible journalism but an ecosystem of weaponized media that thrives on chaos, lies and anti-army propaganda. It is no longer criticism; it is a deliberate, organized assault on the foundations of the state.

A dangerous trend has emerged in the country. Everyone with a Smartphone, every YouTube opportunist, every foreign-funded vlogger has turned into a self-appointed “truth-teller.” They spew venom against the armed forces, ridicule national institutions, twist facts into conspiracies and poison millions of minds — all under the shield of “freedom of speech.”

Freedom of speech should not become a suicide pact. No civilized country allows its media to become a sledgehammer against its own security institutions. If mosques cannot misuse the loudspeaker, why is a digital microphone allowed to wage war against the state? Pakistan rightly restricts the misuse of mic in mosques and public places to prevent hate speech and sectarian hatred. Yet the same society allows untrained, agenda-driven digital warriors to broadcast anti-state narratives unchecked. This contradiction is not only irrational — it is fatal.

The escalating danger of Anti-State media is seriously being felt now. The most reckless elements in Pakistan’s media landscape have crossed every ethical and national line. They misreport national security issues without fear. They echo hostile foreign propaganda. They malign the army over........

© Pakistan Observer