Hybrid warfare and online content rules

By Zahoor Khan Marwat

KARACHI: Hybrid warfare defines irregular means of warfare used today. These are used to destablise a state through use of propaganda, hostile proxies, etc. Pakistan has been facing an onslaught of hybrid warfare for some time. COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa has repeatedly warned against efforts being made to discredit the country and its armed forces. “We are facing the challenge that has been imposed on us in the form of the fifth generation or hybrid war. Its purpose is to discredit the country and its armed forces and spread chaos. We are well aware of this danger. We will surely succeed in winning this war with the cooperation of the nation, by the will of Almighty Allah,” Gen Bajwa recently said at a ceremony held at the General Headquarters as part of celebration of Defence and Martyrs’ Day.

However, fighting a hybrid war is not that easy due to its complexities. India has intensified its hybrid war against Pakistan, which is facing an unprecedented onslaught of hybrid warfare due to regional and extra regional re-alignments. It is therefore imperative for the Pakistani state to defend itself against this speeding invasion of chaotic cyber space (being the spearhead format of this warfare) and mould it to draw advances rather allowing an unhealthy ingress impacting social fiber of the society.

The government has passed social media regulation rules, called the Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Procedure, Oversight and Safeguards), Rules 2020. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has made these rules as it has the power to do this under Sub-section (2) of Section 37 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, which talks about “unlawful online content”. Revised social media rules were prepared by a committee constituted by PM under chairman PTA, after due consultation process with various relevant national and international stakeholders. Draft rules after vetting by MoL&J were processed by MoITT for cabinet, and stood approved on 6 Oct, 2020. It is known that social media platforms are being exploited by various quarters in Pakistan to spread fake and false narratives triggering chaos in society and adversely impacting our social, cultural and religious norms. The new rules define boundaries to protect masses from various online negativity i.e. blasphemy, discrediting state, abusing institutions/appointments/individuals, inciting sectarian or ethnic hate and harassment, etc. The current government has shown the will to enact laws and implement them for better management of internet environment.

Every state adopts and enacts set of laws that conform to its ideology, all domains of national security and foreign policy aims. Pakistan’s digital economy is estimated to have increased to the tune of US$5.5 billion, which in some domains is growing at 100pc annual rate.