Tarar Alleges India-Linked Digital Network Backed Banned AJK Group
Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has alleged that investigators uncovered an India-linked digital influence network involved in circulating anti-Pakistan narratives and content associated with the banned Joint Awami Action Committee in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The minister presented the claims in Islamabad as voters participated in the first phase of the AJK Legislative Assembly elections on Monday.
Tarar said the alleged operation used coordinated social-media activity to create distrust between citizens and Pakistan’s state institutions. According to the government’s account, individuals connected with the network distributed material targeting the country’s sovereignty, national leadership, armed forces and public institutions through organised online campaigns.
The minister claimed that security agencies had arrested a suspect who was operating under the cover of a digital marketing business. He said preliminary questioning indicated that content and instructions were allegedly received from India, while other reports citing the government’s investigation referred to bot networks and payments routed through digital gateways originating across the border.
In his video statement, Tarar argued that people associated with the banned committee should explain their alleged role in promoting material that authorities consider hostile to the state. He maintained that political or civic demands should be pursued through elections and constitutional forums instead of campaigns that the government believes encourage confrontation or weaken public confidence.
The allegations remain claims by the federal government and have not been independently established through publicly available court records or a detailed investigative report. Authorities have not disclosed the arrested suspect’s identity, the specific charges filed, the platforms allegedly used or the complete financial trail cited by the information minister. No immediate response from representatives of the committee was included in the initial report.
The Joint Awami Action Committee emerged as a civil-rights platform in AJK and attracted support through campaigns over electricity tariffs, flour prices, economic pressures and governance reforms. Its mobilisation created significant political pressure on regional authorities, but the organisation was later banned under security laws after officials accused it of threatening public order and encouraging disruptive activity.
Tarar linked the alleged digital network to the committee’s campaign and accused its leadership of damaging the relationship between Pakistan and the people of Kashmir. The committee’s supporters have previously presented their movement as a campaign for economic and administrative rights, highlighting the sharp difference between the government’s national-security narrative and the group’s stated position.
The timing of the allegations gives the issue added political significance because they emerged alongside AJK elections already marked by intense competition, security concerns and accusations among major parties. Claims of foreign-backed influence could shape public debate over political dissent, online campaigning and the limits of lawful protest, while also increasing scrutiny of digital marketing firms and coordinated social-media networks.
Investigators will now face pressure to provide verifiable evidence supporting the allegations, including financial records, communications, technical data and information about the detained suspect’s legal status. Further clarity will depend on whether authorities present the material before a court, allow an independent examination of the evidence and provide the accused individuals or organisations an opportunity to respond.