ISLAMABAD:
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has lodged a strong official protest and formal complaint with BBC Urdu over the publication of “fake news regarding Azad Jammu and Kashmir”, accusing the broadcaster of relying on unverified claims while ignoring official facts and journal statements.
In a post on X, the ministry said the report was based on unverified and unverified allegations and did not reflect the official position.
“Unfortunately, this is not the first case of such reporting,” it said. “The repeated publication of unverified claims has become a trend and corrective action must be taken.”
Separately, the ministry and the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government issued detailed fact-checks rejecting BBC Urdu’s report alleging that the police had blocked the movement of food, medicine and fuel during the ongoing unrest in the region.
Both dismissed the report as “factually incorrect” and maintained that there was no truth to claims of road closures or restrictions on vehicular movement.
According to the Ministry of Information and Radio’s fact check, building a news report around the statements of an anonymous source without credible verification gives the impression of promoting a certain narrative.
The AJK government’s fact checker specifically rejected BBC Urdu’s claim that police had stopped civilians transporting food, medicine and fuel, describing it as contradicting the facts.
It said the report’s headline and central claim was based solely on an anonymous source and contained neither video evidence nor any independent witness or official statement to substantiate the claim.
The AJK government further maintained that there was no truth to claims of road blockades or restrictions on vehicular movement, adding that highways across the region remained open for traffic.
It also pointed out that during a joint press conference held on June 23, AJK’s chief secretary and inspector general of police had categorically denied allegations of road closures.
According to the fact check, any disruption seen on the roads was caused by protesters belonging to the banned Action Committee who allegedly tried to stop and loot vehicles carrying important goods.
It said law enforcement agencies acted promptly to protect the vehicles and their cargo while ensuring roads remained open and traffic continued.
The federal ministry and the AJK government urged international media organizations to uphold professional journalistic standards and refrain from publishing unverified, misleading and baseless reports.
In a related development, the AJK police chief warned citizens at home and abroad against disinformation and AI-generated content and urged them to rely on official sources for information amid a “hybrid warfare” environment.
Addressing a press conference, Inspector General of Police Captain (retd) Liaqat Ali Malik said all entry points into AJK remained open for all types of traffic, including vehicles carrying essential goods, dismissing reports suggesting otherwise.
He urged overseas Pakistanis, especially members of the Kashmiri diaspora in the United Kingdom and Europe, to verify information through authentic government media and social media platforms.
“All major entry points into the territory, including Kohala, Azad Pattan and Bararkot, are open to all types of traffic without any intervention except for routine security checks within police protocols,” he said.
Malik claimed that activists of the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) had erected barriers in some places and attacked or hijacked trucks carrying cargo, adding that law enforcement agencies were regularly clearing roads and facilitating commuters.
Referring to a recent BBC Urdu report, Malik claimed that the report was based on unverified allegations and published without seeking the government’s version, despite the availability of official contact channels.
“We can say that this article is far from reality [ ]he said.
