Pahalgam attack triggers online protest against Pakistan army chief

The recent terror attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam has triggered a massive wave of outrage against Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir, with people accusing him of orchestrating the shooting that killed 26 people and injured 17 others.

As gruesome details of the terror attack came out to shake the public conscience, Pakistanis defied a ban on X to start hashtags like #ResignAsimMunir, #PakistanUnderMilitaryFascism, #UndeclaredMartialLaw, and #BoycottFaujiDhanda on Friday, April 25.

For decades, the Pakistani Army has been blamed for sabotaging peace efforts with India and perpetrating cross-border terror attacks as a means to keep a firm grip on power.

The most explosive allegation came from Adil Raja, a retired Pakistani army officer. In a post on X, he accused that “Army Chief General Asim Munir ordered the ISI to carry out the Pahalgam attack.” Raja didn’t stop there – he demanded Munir’s removal from leadership.

A user, @sufisal, summarised the growing sentiment in a post, writing: “Remove Munir, free Imran Khan, and save Pakistan.”
Another user demanded his resignation. “Asim Munir should be removed immediately, he is dangerous for his own country.”

Supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been behind bars since August 2023, have been at the forefront of this wave of criticism. While the resentment against the military has been simmering for months, the Pahalgam incident has become a flashpoint.

Among them, a user named Bilal AI posted a series of memes mocking General Munir, specifically attacking the decision to ban X in Pakistan, a move widely seen as an attempt to suppress dissent. In one post, he wrote that silencing digital protests would only hand a “narrative victory to India”.

X was banned in Pakistan due to national security concerns during the general elections in February 2024.

The anger also stems from past events. Many remember the violent crackdown during protests in Islamabad last year, where several demonstrators were allegedly killed and injured by security forces under Munir’s orders.

For many Pakistanis, Munir now represents not just military overreach, but authoritarian rule and political vendetta.

As criticism surged, accounts aligned with the state narrative launched a coordinated counteroffensive. In an attempt to discredit the dissident voices, many X handles began pushing the hashtag #ModiKeHaamiSabHarami, accusing critics of being pro-India. Over 9,000 posts using this hashtag were published in a span of 24 hours ending at 4 pm on April 25.

Interestingly, the same accounts have also been propagating anti-India hashtags like #PAFReadyToRespond and #IndiaEmptyThreats, with more than 15,000 posts combined within a day.

ONLINE RESPONSE BY INDIANS

Meanwhile, Indian users have started a counter-narrative of their own. The hashtag #PakistanBehindPahalgam remained on the X trending list for around 24 hours on April 25 with over 30,000 posts, directly blaming Pakistan’s military and intelligence for the terror attack.

The trend is being seen as India’s response to Islamabad’s social media propaganda. Users are widely sharing posts and video clips to highlight Pakistan’s alleged terror links, especially after the recent interview of Pakistan’s foreign minister.

In the now-viral clip, the minister can be heard admitting Pakistan’s role in facilitating terror networks in the past. “We have been doing this dirty work for the United States for three decades,” he says.

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