NACTA
Following a press conference on August 8 by members of the Insaf Student Federation (ISF), the student wing of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), two notifications began circulating online, causing a stir on social media.
These documents, purportedly issued by the Interior Ministry and the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA), accused the student leaders of terrorism-related activities. However, after careful investigation, it has been confirmed that these notifications are fabricated and entirely false.
Claim:
On August 8, ISF members held a press conference where they announced a student movement focused on addressing pressing issues like inflation, restoring fundamental rights, and advocating for the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan from jail.
The announcement was met with significant attention, but it was quickly followed by the circulation of two alarming documents on social media.
The first document, allegedly from NACTA and dated August 8, was titled “Threat Alert.” It claimed that certain elements within PTI were mobilizing youth leadership to create unrest, using students as the front line of these efforts.
The document went further, suggesting that the movement was being funded by hostile intelligence agencies, thereby implying a serious national security threat.
A second notification surfaced a few days later, dated August 10, and allegedly issued by the Interior Ministry.
This document claimed that the government had decided to place the names of those inciting students on the Fourth Schedule, a list that includes individuals suspected of terrorism or sectarian activities.
The notification also stated that students involved in this agitation would be restricted from leaving their cities without permission and that their passports would be revoked.
Fact-Check:
Upon investigation, it has been confirmed that both the Interior Ministry and NACTA did not issue these notifications. Senior officials from both entities have categorically denied the authenticity of the documents.
At NACTA, a high-ranking official, who is regularly informed about threat alerts, described the notification as “100% fake.” The official pointed out that the document bore the signature of Obaid Farooq Malik, a former NACTA official who retired two years ago.
To further debunk the false notification, the official provided Farooq’s retirement notification and clarified that Colonel Usman now serves as the deputy director at NACTA.
Fact Check also reached out to Obaid Farooq Malik himself, who confirmed his retirement in 2022.
He explained that during his tenure, he did issue threat alerts, but the format and content of the current circulating document had been altered by someone to create a misleading narrative.
The retired official expressed concern that his previous work was being manipulated to spread false information.
In addition, it also spoke with Qadir Yar Tiwana, Director General of Media at the Interior Ministry, along with two other ministry officials who chose to remain anonymous. All three officials confirmed that the notification in question was indeed fake and not issued by the ministry.
Conclusion:
The allegations against PTI’s student leaders, as presented in the circulated notifications, are entirely baseless and part of a disinformation campaign.
Both NACTA and the Interior Ministry have categorically denied issuing any such alerts, and the documents have been exposed as forgeries.
This incident highlights the dangers of misinformation and the importance of verifying the authenticity of official communications before accepting them as truth.
