Pakistan’s government has launched a sweeping crackdown on fake news and misinformation circulating on social media, vowing to bring accountability to digital platforms that have so far operated with little oversight. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, speaking at a news conference in Islamabad on December 1, 2025, announced the new measures, which come on the heels of a year marked by legislative changes and mounting concerns about online content and national security.
"Around 90 percent of news circulating on social media is fake and it cannot be allowed that anyone posts whatever they want," Naqvi declared, according to multiple Pakistani news outlets. He stressed that while the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) issues notices when incorrect news airs on national media, social media remains largely unregulated, making it a fertile ground for misinformation and panic.
“This is not acceptable — you cannot just post anything as news on social media,” Naqvi said, reiterating his belief in responsible journalism. He drew a clear line between professional journalists and those who, in his words, "spread fake news." According to Naqvi, "Those who spread fake news are not journalists for us. So please, if you create vlogs or have a podcast or do something else, spread the news with responsibility. This cannot happen that daily a new panic spreads among the nation and then no one is held accountable."
The crackdown comes after a series of steps by the government aimed at tightening control over the digital space. In January 2025, Pakistan amended the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), citing the need to combat hacking, online harassment, and data breaches. Then, in April, the government established the National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to investigate and prosecute cybercrimes across the country, signaling a more aggressive approach to digital regulation.
But the government’s moves have not gone unchallenged. Opposition parties, journalists, and rights groups have accused authorities of using the new laws to stifle dissent and muzzle criticism. Media organizations have reported frequent harassment and intimidation by officials, raising questions about the balance between combating misinformation and preserving freedom of expression. Naqvi, however, maintains that the measures are not intended to silence legitimate voices. “As a journalist, I believe in freedom of expression, and it holds importance — but freedom of expression does not mean allowing fake news,” he stated. He insisted that reporters should be ready to back their stories with evidence and submit to checks and balances within their news organizations and PEMRA.
According to Naqvi, a coordinated effort is underway: “We will sit with the information ministry and the NCCIA to launch a massive-scale crackdown,” he told reporters. The government’s message is clear: the era of unchecked, anonymous online reporting is over. Those found guilty of spreading false information will be prosecuted, and Naqvi warned that even individuals based abroad, particularly those in London, who he accused of making "baseless claims about issues within state institutions," would not escape accountability. “Let me tell those sitting outside — you will all be returning soon. You will come back and answer for everything,” Naqvi said.
The issue of fake news is not the only front on which the government is acting. Parallel to its digital crackdown, Pakistan is pressing ahead with a controversial and highly publicized repatriation drive targeting illegal Afghan nationals. The campaign, which began in 2023 after a spate of suicide attacks that officials blamed on Afghan nationals, has seen more than 1.5 million Afghans deported from the country, according to state media reports cited by the Daily Times.
Naqvi provided further details on the scope of the operation, stating that from September 17, 2024, to March 31, 2025, the government deported around 469,000 people through the northwestern Torkham border pass with Afghanistan. He described the repatriation drive as “very successfully” carried out in Pakistan’s Sindh, Balochistan, and Punjab provinces. However, he acknowledged that the campaign has faced significant hurdles in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, which borders Afghanistan. “Over there at this time, they [illegal Afghan nationals] are being protected,” Naqvi alleged, indicating that local authorities were not fully cooperating with federal directives.
To address these challenges, Naqvi announced that starting the week of December 8, 2025, station house officers (SHOs) will be tasked with identifying illegal Afghan nationals in their respective areas. “We are sending this message to the KP government repeatedly that you think about your country,” he said. “Then do your politics and everything else. The most important thing is where your country is at and what it is suffering from. You need to address that first.”
The government’s hardline stance is rooted in national security concerns. Naqvi has directly linked Afghan nationals to violent incidents, including a suicide attack in Islamabad and other recent terror incidents. “We cannot tolerate any more bombings,” he asserted, warning that any Afghan attempting to re-enter Pakistan after deportation will be arrested immediately. He urged Afghan residents to return to their homeland with dignity, but made clear that there would be “no compromise on the repatriation policy.”
Despite the government’s insistence on the necessity of these measures, critics argue that the deportation drive and the crackdown on online speech risk undermining human rights and free expression. Journalists and civil society organizations have voiced concerns that the expanded powers granted to the NCCIA and the amendments to PECA could be used to target dissenters and whistleblowers under the guise of combating fake news or protecting national security.
Yet, for the government, the stakes are high. Naqvi has repeatedly stated that there will be no politics on matters of national security and no compromise on issues concerning the country’s safety. The dual campaigns—against misinformation and illegal immigration—are presented as essential to maintaining order and protecting Pakistan from both internal and external threats.
With the promised crackdown set to begin in earnest, all eyes are now on how these policies will be enforced and what impact they will have—both on Pakistan’s digital landscape and on the millions of Afghans who have called the country home. As the government moves to assert greater control, the debate over the limits of free expression and the rights of migrants is only likely to intensify.
For now, Pakistan’s message is unequivocal: misinformation and illegal residency will no longer be tolerated, and those who test the government’s resolve—whether from within or beyond its borders—should be prepared to face the consequences.