New Delhi: A network of Pakistani Twitter users have begun trending the hashtag #IamISPR in response to Facebook’s 1 April announcement that employees of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) department, the Pakistan military’s media wing, were behind fake accounts that fuelled “anti-India rhetoric”.
Facebook has taken down 103 of these “pages, groups and accounts” that were operated by the staff of ISPR. The 103 include “24 pages across Facebook and Instagram, 57 Facebook accounts, seven groups and 15 Instagram accounts”.
On Wednesday, in less than 30 minutes, between 12.16 pm and 12.43 pm, the hashtag #IamISPR was mentioned in over 370 tweets, jumping from being mentioned in 1,544 tweets to 1,915 tweets.
The number of tweets with this hashtag was constantly picking up, with 4,593 tweets discussing it as of 3.22 pm Indian time. The hashtag is still trending at number one in the Pakistan region.
Also read: Pakistan-based Facebook pages posed as Kashmiri activists to push anti-India rhetoric
Tweets back ISPR, slam Facebook
A number of tweets in the trend backed ISPR while taking on Facebook.
One Twitter account titled ‘PTI Follow Team’ (its unique handle name is @MtayyabKathia1) tweeted, “ Retweet this to support trend #IamISPR and Follow everyone who retweets this. Come on Guys hurry up…”
Retweet this to support trend #IamISPR and Follow everyone who retweet this. Come on Guys hurry up…
— Muhammad Tayyab (@muhtyb) April 3, 2019
Another named ‘ISI Pak’s Pride’ (Twitter handle @wiseguy112 ) tweeted, “#IamISPR is indeed an HT which Pakistani patriot must start trending and make it no 1 trend….since every patriotic Pakistani is #ISI & #ISPR. ……. “
#IamISPR is indeed an HT which Pakistani patriot must start trending and make it no 1 trend….since every patriotic Pakistani is #ISI & #ISPR. …….
— ISI Pak's Pride (@CallSignMujahid) April 3, 2019
Other users slammed Facebook for its actions.
An account named ‘Asaad’ (handle name @markhor_2019) tweeted, ”So if @facebook thinks that these Patriotic Pakistanis are the employee of ISPR then it’s their misunderstanding. We don’t need to be an employee for defending our Country and Our forces. These the common citizens of Pakistan “
So if @facebook thinks that these Patriotic Pakistanis are the employee of ISPR then its their misunderstanding. We don’t need to be an employee for defending our Country and Our forces . These the the common citizens of Pakistan ?? #IamISPR pic.twitter.com/Z4UWZrPMXy
— Asaad Gul Awan ?? (@markhor_2018) April 3, 2019
India targeted again
As with the now-removed Facebook pages run by ISPR employees, there were other tweets aimed at the Indian armed forces.
The same handle @markhor_2019 tweeted, “India lost the information war thats why they forced Facebook to suspend Pro army pages, groups and account. But this ain’t gonna help India anymore. Love for Pakistan army is in the blood of Pakistanis because we bleed green…”
India lost the information war thats why they forced Facebook to suspend Pro army pages,groups and account. But this ain’t gonna help india anymore. Love for Pakistan army is in the blood of Pakistanis because we bleed green. @peaceforchange #IamISPR pic.twitter.com/sWxOhRbb9q
— Asaad Gul Awan ?? (@markhor_2018) April 3, 2019
Many tweets featuring the hashtag “IamISPR” also were supportive of ISPR head Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor. Among the accounts were some that chose to post group or individual selfies taken with Maj Gen Ghafoor while some tweets credited Ghafoor with “defeating India”.
One Twitter account with user name ‘Engr. Saad Kaleem ‘ (and unique handle name @ZarbeKaleemi) tweeted, “With his carefully orchestrated social media spectacles during and after the Balakot escalation, Major General Asif Ghafoor, the incumbent director general of the ISPR, proved to be the greatest asset of Pakistan in defeating India in information warfare. “
With his carefully orchestrated social media spectacles during and after the Balakot escalation, Major General Asif Ghafoor, the incumbent director general of the ISPR,proved to be a greatest asset of Pakistan in defeating India in information warfare.@peaceforchange#IamISPR ❤ pic.twitter.com/XmsCdac41e
— Engr.Saad Kaleem?? (@WordsOfKaleem) April 2, 2019
Also read: Pakistan Army pages pulled down by Facebook called Indian security forces ‘monkey’
Is this the man who said we couldnt do anything becoz it was dark..gr8
And pakis clicking selfies with him..i dont understand the IQ of these people..