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 fabricated stories. They turn criminals into heroes and patriots into villains. They intentionally polarize the public for financial gain.
This isn’t journalism. This is information terrorism — a psychological war against the nation. Absolute freedom for such actors becomes a weapon of mass manipulation. We need learn lessons from history. Havoc prevails when media Is left uncontrolled. Media without regulation is like fire in a wheat field where just one spark can destroy everything.
In Rwanda 1994 a few broadcasters triggered one of the worst genocides in history. In Arab Spring social media glorified “revolution” but delivered chaos, collapsed states and caused civil wars. In Myanmar online rumours unleashed ethnic massacres. In United States 2021 disinformation whipped up a mob that assaulted the Capitol Hill. When media crosses into propaganda and disorder, even the most powerful democracies tremble.
Pakistan with a fragile political system and constant foreign interference is far more vulnerable. We need to understand global reality of why controlled media works. Those who oppose media regulation love quoting Western slogans. But the truth is clear that every successful modern state controls media in some form especially on national security.
I have visited China several times and observed that China simply does not allow chaos. Its media is tightly managed, its digital platforms monitored and foreign influence filtered. The result is its Internal stability of decades of uninterrupted economic growth and zero tolerance for separatism or anti-state propaganda. China doesn’t apologize for controlling its media — it considers it a national weapon.
Russia protects its narrative fiercely. You may disagree with their model, but no one can deny its effectiveness in maintaining internal unity, countering Western influence and defending national identity. A state facing global hostility cannot afford a hostile media inside its borders. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 thrives because the state does not tolerate media anarchy. Its model ensures national cohesion, zero space for extremist clerics, strict laws against digital propaganda and media support for national reforms. This firm control has produced stability, modernization and unprecedented economic growth.
What Pakistan must do — Immediately and Aggressively? Pakistan can no longer afford a soft approach. The state must reclaim the media space with legal, institutional and technological force. Firstly, form a powerful Digital Media Authority not a symbolic body — but a real regulator with teeth: fast-track legal penalties for fake news, permanent bans for repeat offenders, financial audits of channels spreading anti-state propaganda and mandatory disclosure of foreign funding. Secondly, zero tolerance policy on attacks against armed forces should be applied.
A country cannot let its defenders be maligned daily by people chasing YouTube dollars. There must be strict prosecution, heavy fines, platform-wide bans and public disclosure of propaganda networks. Respectful criticism is legitimate — malicious defamation is sedition. Thirdly, mandatory licensing for Digital Broadcasters should be enforced. If a shopkeeper selling weapons or medicines needs a license, why not someone speaking to millions? Fourthly, build State-Controlled national narrative platforms. China, Saudi Arabia and Russia have shown that the state must dominate national messaging.
State of Pakistan needs its own powerful digital presence, fact-checking units, counter-propaganda teams and rapid -response media task forces to properly handle the situation. Fifthly, National Media Literacy Programs should be initiated. Teach people how to identify lies, foreign agendas and algorithm-driven manipulation. And finally, legal accountability — not verbal warnings be made. Just warnings are meaningless. Only arrests, penalties, technology-driven monitoring and permanent blacklisting can restore order.
Media must be free — but cannot be free to destroy. No state can survive a media that behaves like a rogue militia. Pakistan stands at a turning point. Either it confronts anti-state media head-on or it watches its institutions erode under a flood of propaganda. The world’s most stable countries have proven this truth. Development requires discipline, stability requires control and progress requires narrative unity. Chaos in the name of “freedom” is not freedom — it is national suicide. Pakistan must choose survival over softness, order over anarchy and sovereignty over digital blackmail.
—The writer is editor, political analyst and author of several books based in Islamabad.
