Fact-check: NACTA, interior ministry deny issuing terrorism alerts against PTI student leaders

Following a press conference on August 8 by members of the opposition party’s student wing, two notifications began circulating online — one purportedly from the Interior Ministry and another from the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) — accusing the student leaders of terrorism.

The claim is false. The notifications are fabricated.

Claim

On August 8, members of the Insaf Student Federation, the student wing of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), held a press conference announcing a student movement aimed at addressing inflation, restoring fundamental rights, and advocating for the release of former prime minister Imran Khan from jail.

On the same day, two alleged notifications began circulating on social media.

One, from NACTA, was dated August 8, and titled “Threat Alert”. It stated: “Some miscreants of PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) are mobilising their youth leadership to create law and order using students in front.” (sic).

The purported notification further the students’ movement was being funded by “hostile intelligence agencies”.

The second notification circulated a few days later and dated August 10, purportedly stated that the government had decided to place the names of those inciting students for agitation on the 4th schedule. 

It also claimed that students would not be allowed to leave the city without permission and that their passports would be revoked.

Fact

Both the interior ministry and NACTA have confirmed to Geo Fact Check that the notifications circulating online were not issued by them.

At NACTA, a senior government official, who is routinely informed about threat alerts, described the notification as “100% fake.” 

He noted that the document bore the signature of Obaid Farooq Malik, who retired from NACTA two years ago. The official provided Farooq’s retirement notification and clarified that Colonel Usman is now serving as the deputy director at NACTA.

Geo Fact Check also spoke with Farooq, who confirmed his retirement in 2022. Farooq explained, “When I was the director, I issued such threat alerts. Now, someone has copied the old format, inserted their own content, and circulated it on social media.”

Separately, Geo Fact Check contacted Qadir Yar Tiwana, director general of media at the interior ministry, along with two other officials who requested to remain anonymous. All three confirmed that the notification being circulated online was “fake” and not issued by the ministry.

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