Hackers target govt’s official accounts, fuel misinformation

KARACHI: The Pakistan government faced another wave of challenges on Friday after unidentified hackers gained access to multiple official social media accounts on X (formerly Twitter), posting misinformation that appeared to amplify Indian propaganda.

A post from the official account of the Economic Affairs Division (‘[at]eadgop’) claimed the Pakistan government had appealed to “international partners for more loans after heavy losses inflicted by the enemy”.

The government’s official fact-checking account ‘Fact Checker MoIB’ and Federal Minister for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja swiftly debunked the false claims, confirming that the account had been hacked. The account has since been deleted.

In a separate incident early Friday, the Karachi Port’s official social media account (‘[at]official_kpt’) was also compromised, with hackers posting a message alleging damages caused by an Indian attack. Authorities regained control of the account and clarified that the claims were false, assuring the peoplec that operations at the port were running smoothly.

Experts had previously warned that escalating conflict between India and Pakistan could spark a surge in cyberattacks.