Former PTI leaders reveal govt resources used to promote party image

• PTI's propaganda project was set at cost of Rs870 million.
• Before 2021, 72.5% of these accounts showed no bias towards PTI.
• It was common for PTI chairman to initiate trends on social media.

ISLAMABAD: A major scandal of the PTI era has exposed a plan to promote a fake image of Imran Khan, using state resources for illegal political publicity campaigns and false propaganda against state institutions, reported The News on Thursday.

Social media teams were tasked with spreading the false narrative of PTI under the Annual Development Programme (ADP), aiming to advance PTI's political objectives and launch a propaganda campaign of disinformation besides inciting people.

With the use of state financial resources, the propaganda accounts' fan base grew. This project was set at a cost of Rs870 million with the salary of staff members ranging from Rs25,000 to Rs40,000.

According to an investigation, before 2021, 72.5% of these employees' accounts showed no bias towards the PTI. Additionally, after June 2022, 86% of accounts shifted their political bent and began sharing PTI narratives on their social media accounts.

These statistics revealed PTI had no ideology before this.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ata Tarar alleged that the PTI leadership recruited about 1,100 people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to promote the party agenda. He said that those who recruited them must be punished.

Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) Spokesperson Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan alleged that false propaganda was disseminated through the Annual Development Programme (ADP) and the PTI freely used social media to tarnish the reputation of institutions.

Speaking to reporters, Awan stated that it had become a common practice for the PTI chairman to initiate trend topics on social media.

She disclosed that an astounding sum of Rs870 million was allocated to promote the agenda of a specific individual instead of the genuine welfare of the public.

The IPP spokesperson also expressed concern that this budget seemingly intended for public development was used to recruit 30 to 40 individuals and open 800 accounts with the aim of sowing conflict within the state and among the people.