Selective misinterpretation and misuse of information in media is in stark contradiction to ethics evolved since the 18th century. Since then, the media is considered as a watchdog of truth while remaining within confines of journalistic ethos.
Freedom of expression with objectivity has remained a cornerstone of journalism facilitating accurate, unbiased and objective reporting. Technology has given a new dimension to media and journalism making it more challenging. The intensity and volume of information has facilitated in coining a new term “Mixed Media” giving rise to the phenomenon of citizen journalism putting the purpose of traditional journalism and its validity into question.
The Pakistani media industry is no exception to this phenomenon and is grappling with similar predicaments. Political discourse forms part of almost 65 percent of the total content carrying all cynicism attached to it in a few segments of the media. This divisive political discourse always grabs the space which should be otherwise meant to project real challenges confronted by 240 million people of this country. This political discourse entails a substantial portion on establishment “projecting” its uncalled for interference in politics. Ironically, this “projection” is supported by half-truths, agenda-based selective content and twisting of facts.
The persistent misinformation campaigns directed towards the Pakistan Armed Forces, frequently disseminated by entities harbouring hidden agendas, represent a grave risk to the troops’ morale and the country’s security. The goal of these operations is to sever ties between the armed forces and the general public, which could have catastrophic effects as witnessed in the case of Libya, Syria, Yemen and Iraq . It is imperative that the general public discerns these misrepresented stories and comprehends Pakistan’s actual defence spending. Despite having few resources, the Pakistani Armed Forces are steadfast in their commitment to carrying out their responsibility of national defence
Probably, the establishment is considered the most powerful entity in Pakistan and criticism of a “powerful” has become an act of so-called moral righteousness, notwithstanding truth and objectivity; ethos of journalism. Such misconstrued assertions are hallmarks of a specific segment of media and cannot be attributed to all and sundry. This smaller segment conveniently implicates establishment in a negative realm in all write-ups which are otherwise carrying a different storyline. A recently published piece of opinion in a leading newspaper can be termed a classic example of this trend. In this write-up, the author criticised the military for being an exception to the taxpayers community of the country. The writer termed this exception as an attribute of the military’s influence over the government which has levied exorbitant taxes on the salaried class. The assertion is, however, devoid of facts as the army and its affiliated welfare entities are contributing immensely by paying heavy taxes. There is no distinction for employees of armed forces to be exempted from tax in their salaries.
In the fiscal year 2022-2023, Pakistan’s national budget was Rs 9.5 trillion, of which Rs 1.5 trillion was allocated to defence, amounting to 15.7 percent of the total budget. The national budget grew to Rs 14.4 trillion in the next fiscal year, but the defence budget shrank to an allocation of Rs 1.8 trillion, or 12.5 percent of the entire budget. This represents the lowest defence budget percentage in Pakistani history. Army funding as a percentage of the national budget has also dropped dramatically, from 7.6 percent in FY 2022–2023 to just 5.69 percent in FY 2023–2024. This tendency may cause an imbalance between the requirement for economic expansion and the necessity of preserving national security in a volatile region and with a challenging domestic security situation.
The Pakistan Armed Forces, with these contracted resources, are among the world’s strongest militaries, as shown by the Global Firepower Index, which highlights their resource management skills. In addition, since the 1980s, Pakistan’s defence budget as a share of GDP has steadily decreased; it fell from 5.5 percent in FY 2023–2024 to an all-time low of 1.7 percent.
The army also sets aside Rs 16 billion from the defence budget to compensate 93,000 civilians who serve in various organisations run by the military. However this is frequently contested and instead the legitimacy of business organizations run by the Pakistan Army, such as the Fauji Foundation, is highlighted in negative terms. They frequently voice concerns about their financial impact on the public coffers remaining oblivious to the organizations’ operational realities or their contributions to public exchequer. These criticisms overlook the fact that the Pakistan Armed Forces are not the only nation that manages welfare and support groups; China, Turkey, India, and the USA all have comparable systems in place. These institutions pay taxes; in fact, the Fauji Foundation alone paid Rs 260 billion in taxes in 2023. These organizations do not enjoy tax exemptions.
They promote economic growth by providing logistical support and undertaking development projects in areas where private enterprises are reluctant to participate because of security risks or challenging terrain. Leading these initiatives have been the Frontier Works Organization (FWO) and the National Logistics Cell (NLC), which have improved Pakistan’s connectivity with Afghanistan and the Central Asian Republics and have also handled disaster relief operations. Additionally, the Fauji Foundation and related organizations provide a sizable amount of their earnings to the support of military personnel and martyrs’ families, which lessens the financial strain on the national coffers.
The persistent misinformation campaigns directed towards the Pakistan Armed Forces, frequently disseminated by entities harbouring hidden agendas, represent a grave risk to the troops’ morale and the country’s security. The goal of these operations is to sever ties between the armed forces and the general public, which could have catastrophic effects as witnessed in the case of Libya, Syria, Yemen and Iraq . It is imperative that the general public discerns these misrepresented stories and comprehends Pakistan’s actual defence spending. Despite having few resources, the Pakistani Armed Forces are steadfast in their commitment to carrying out their responsibility of national defence.
