Due to the access to internet, it is very easy to post anything on social media. This includes posts that go up without any research or just to gain traction. Images are photoshopped in the process, facts are altered, and made up stories are presented as headlines to catch the eyes of the audience.

This patriotic Pakistani social media account became caught in a “fake news” controversy recently, on Twitter

Pakistan Defence is a page started by some Pakistanis, who are enthusiastic about Pakistan’s defence mechanisms, our military and defence planning.

This is how they choose to describe themselves:

“Independently established in 2005, the Pakistan Defence is internet’s most authoritative media company for news and discussions on Pakistan military, military technology, domestic and international politics, history and strategic studies.”

In an attempt to cash in on the India Pakistan rivalry, they decided to photoshop an image.

They wanted to show how Indians are finally realising that their country has a very colonial approach, which is why they hate their country. But of course, the image was taken out of context and photoshopped to portray these ideas.

Jibran Nasir, social media personality and activist, caught the act.

This is @defencepk self styled representative of everything patriotic in Pakistan dishing out certificates of patriotism to psychophants declaring all critics traitors. Photoshopping images to sell their posts. Kia hamain Pakistan kay Difah kay liye is chichorpan ki zarorat hai? pic.twitter.com/yGrDyt7pIG

— M. Jibran Nasir (@MJibranNasir) November 18, 2017

But people refused to believe him

Sawal yeh hai k kya yeh doosri traf nahi hota? 'unki' baat karte aapke daant-mubarak mein taqleef kyun hoti hai? aur aisa kya ghalat likha hai is photo-shopped-image mein? kya yeh sach nahi k in tamam khitton par aapk 'woh' jabran qaabiz hain? aap rehne dejiye sahab

— Fahad Kahut (@FKahut) November 18, 2017

Until Kawalpreet Kaur, the woman in the image, also took to Twitter to point out how her picture was being misused to create a distorted narrative

This was my original tweet and picture. @defencepk https://t.co/tWG3lf4s8v

— Kawalpreet Kaur (@kawalpreetdu) November 18, 2017

She also voiced her concern over whether or not the page was original

I hope this is not official defence page of Pakistan otherwise there is a real security concern if you use morphed pictures just to spread hate across nations. Please put it down.

— Kawalpreet Kaur (@kawalpreetdu) November 18, 2017

And people started reporting the post which led to the Twitter account of Pakistan Defence being suspended

The account of @defencepk has been suspended by twitter for posting my unverified & morphed pictures. Grateful to all who reported it in large numbers. The message of the picture shouldn't be lost in these dark times. No nation wants lynchings & killings. Only bigots wants hate.

— Kawalpreet Kaur (@kawalpreetdu) November 18, 2017

Here’s an interesting point about this incident

No shortage of violent nationalists in the world. By presenting her as someone who hates her country @defencepk exposed @kawalpreetdu to ridicule, harrassment & more. Earlier this yr they accused some of us in Pak of blasphemy. They endanger lives for RTshttps://t.co/TC9ck5DdeU

— M. Jibran Nasir (@MJibranNasir) November 19, 2017

What we can all learn out of this

Any sort of news which you are consuming must not be believed as it is. You must always check from multiple sources before believing it to be true. Unverified news causes a lot of problems and security concerns. A recent example is the bomb blast news in Gulberg, Lahore, after the blast in Y – Block DHA. The news about the Gulberg blast turned out to be a hoax but a lot of panic had been created by then because people kept sharing the news without confirmation. Remember that pages put up news for traction, without sometimes confirming it. You, as the audience, need to be intelligent enough to confirm them.

A lot of people realise the on going India Pakistan rivalry. Which is why fake news is spread to instigate certain sensitivities and gain reaction. On ground, citizens on both sides do not want such narratives to prevail. Let us all help build a diverse and friendly society, and not spread false information for the sake of views.