MASTUNG: Security sources have categorically denied reports circulating on social media of a recent attack on Mastung Central Jail and the subsequent release of prisoners, labeling the claim as completely false and a deliberate propaganda campaign.
The disinformation, primarily spread through accounts affiliated with the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), utilized video footage falsely presented as new. Security officials confirmed to this publication that the clips in question are from a 2021 incident, repackaged to create a false narrative of fresh instability. “There has been no attack on Mastung Jail. The videos being circulated are old and being used maliciously to create panic and confusion,” stated a senior interior ministry official.
The fake news campaign appears to be part of a coordinated effort. Alongside the Mastung claims, officials highlighted a parallel wave of disinformation regarding an alleged attack on Gwadar Port. Accounts identified by intelligence as part of the “Indian Way” network—a term used by Pakistani security agencies for alleged Indian influence operations—have been actively amplifying this fabricated Gwadar narrative. Crucially, the graphic videos shared to “substantiate” the Gwadar claim have been traced to unrelated attack footage from conflicts in other countries.
“This is a classic hybrid warfare tactic,” explained a cybersecurity analyst monitoring the activity. “The playbook involves dredging up old local footage and mixing it with violent imagery from entirely different global conflicts. The goal is to overwhelm the public with a false sense of simultaneous crises, undermining confidence in state security.”
Authorities have urged citizens to exercise extreme caution and rely only on official information channels. The Interior Ministry has initiated a cyber-investigation to trace the origins of the coordinated campaign, emphasizing that such fabrications aim to destabilize the region and distort Pakistan’s security situation. The public is advised to report and not share such unverified, alarming content.
