Hashtags are a key feature on X (Foremerly Twitter) that assists in forming conversations and spreading ideas, making them an influential instrument for shaping public opinion. By adding a hashtag to a tweet, users can sort their content and take part in wider discussions centered around a particular subject. This enables people, groups, and even governments to purposefully spread their narratives, rally support, and draw attention to their cause.
Hashtags have the ability to energize movements, ignite debates, and influence perceptions, effectively democratizing public discourse by giving a platform for diverse voices to be heard. However, the same component that facilitates open dialogue also makes hashtags vulnerable to exploitation and manipulation for propaganda reasons.
Malicious actors can hijack hashtags to circulate misinformation, sway public opinion, or participate in information warfare, leveraging the viral aspect of social media to boost their agenda and cause division within society.
The spread of skillfully crafted propaganda campaigns on social platforms such as X can have major impacts on society, frequently causing widespread confusion, polarization, and distrust. When misinformation and propaganda are distributed on a large scale, they can distort reality, deteriorate trust in organizations, and intensify existing tensions in society. Well-organized propaganda attempts can take advantage of weaknesses in social connections, manipulating fears, prejudices, and insecurities to influence public opinion and control group behavior.
The resulting disruption to social harmony can have far-reaching consequences, damaging democratic processes, destabilizing communities, and even provoking violence. Therefore, it is vital for users to critically evaluate the information they come across online, scrutinize the motives behind trending hashtags, and actively participate in efforts to fight misinformation to safeguard the integrity of public discussion and protect the fabric of society from manipulation and division.
Bahawalnagar Incident
On 10 April 2024, a clash between the Pakistan military and Punjab police erupted in Bahwalnagar, Punjab. Recordings of the clash went viral on social media platforms, demonstrating armed forces beating the cops, prompting arrest on the two sides. The occurrence caused shock, with politicians and activists condemning the savagery.
Responding to the recordings circulating via web-based media, the Punjab police released a statement that the occurrence was being misconstrued as a contention between the Pakistan military and Punjab police.
The explanation underscored that the two establishments propelled a joint examination, and after surveying the realities, the matter was settled peacefully.
Inter-Services Public Relations Pakistan (ISPR) stated, “An unfortunate incident occurred in Bahawalnagar recently, which was promptly addressed and resolved through collaborative efforts of military and police authorities. Despite this, certain factions with vested motives started fanning vitriolic propaganda on social media to create divisions between state institutions and government departments.”
Analysis of #Bahawalnagar
The rise of the X trend #Bahawalnagar has attracted considerable attention and concern in Pakistan’s digital landscape, as it seems to target the country’s armed forces and police. Our review of this hashtag from April 11, 2024, to April 17, 2024, shows a striking pattern, with around 60.8% of the tweets conveying negative sentiments towards the Pakistani military, while only 10.4% have positive mentions. This disproportionate ratio of negative to positive mentions highlights the importance of this trend and its potential effects on public perception and discussion about the military.
As one of Pakistan’s most powerful and respected institutions, the military’s reputation and position in society are closely scrutinized, making it a prime focus for both criticism and propaganda. In light of the findings from our data analysis, it is crucial to examine more deeply the underlying motivations and agendas driving the #Bahawalnagar trend and to critically evaluate its impact on Pakistan’s broader socio-political landscape.
The extensive scope and participation around the #Bahawalnagar hashtag across various social media sites underscores its huge effect and influence within digital networks.
With an aggregate of 1829 mentions and an amazing online reach of 58.6 million, the hashtag has viably penetrated virtual communities, reaching a vast audience far beyond its initial inception. The intensification of this pattern is especially obvious in its dispersion across various stages, with 1.5 million mentions on X, 56.2 million on YouTube, 911.8 thousand on Instagram, and 58 thousand on TikTok.
This across-the-board spread over different web-based entertainment channels shows the hashtag’s capacity to cross limits and resonate with a wide range of clients, intensifying its message and reaching out to new crowds.
Below is the media share for each different mentioned source. The graph shows X (formerly Twitter) as the main source with 56.2% mentions, YouTube with 38.5%, and Instagram with 3.6%.
The hashtag (#Bahawalnagar) was widely shared with the following keywords. Larger words mean they occur more often in the mentions of the selected period.
#Bahawalnagar was tagged mostly by Pakistani users with 63%, followed by social media users in the United Kingdom with 08%.
Utilizing hyperbolic storytelling and one-sided framing, news outlets in India have capitalized on this event to portray Pakistan and its military forces negatively, further increasing tensions between the two neighboring countries. By highlighting perceived weaknesses and internal conflicts within Pakistan, Indian media aims to undermine the credibility and stability of its regional adversary, promoting a narrative of mayhem and dysfunction.
This deliberate spread of misinformation helps intensify existing hostilities and bolster India’s confrontational stance towards Pakistan, perpetuating a cycle of mutual distrust and animosity. Consequently, the Bahawalnagar incident becomes yet another battlefield in the ongoing information warfare between the two nations, underscoring the role of media exploitation and narrative shaping in molding perceptions and impacting international affairs.
Articles on the Indian websites about the Bahawalnagar incident have portrayed Pakistan in an extremely negative way. They use inflammatory rhetoric and exaggerated accusations to make Pakistan look bad and unstable. These biased articles lack balanced reporting and fair representation of the facts. Their propagandistic tone plays into existing anti-Pakistan prejudices among Indian readers. By spreading one-sided narratives and fostering hostility and distrust, these Indian articles reinforce negative stereotypes about Pakistan. This exacerbates tensions between the two countries rather than promoting understanding.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters and the social media head of the Punjab team have emerged as significant contributors to the X hashtag, predominantly posting negative tweets that draw parallels between the Bahawalnagar incident and the events of May 9th, 2023. Leveraging their sizable online presence and influence, these individuals and groups have orchestrated a concerted effort to amplify dissenting voices and critique the actions of Pakistan’s military and government.
By drawing comparisons to past incidents, particularly the events of May 9th, 2023, they seek to underscore perceived patterns of misconduct or mishandling by authorities, further fueling public outrage and skepticism. This coordinated campaign of social media activism highlights the growing role of digital platforms in shaping public discourse and mobilizing grassroots movements, as well as the potential for online communities to drive meaningful change and accountability within society.
Analysis and Conclusion
A mainstream political party and Indian news media have played major roles in exaggerating the Bahawalnagar incident, each with their agendas to tarnish Pakistan’s military reputation and create disorder domestically and globally. Using its social media platforms and supporter base, the political wing has depicted the incident in a way that raises doubts about the Pakistani military’s integrity. Meanwhile, Indian media outlets have sensationalized the events to further their goal of portraying Pakistan negatively.
By manipulating storylines and selectively emphasizing certain aspects, both have helped escalate tensions and distrust within and outside Pakistan.
Understanding how a trend starts, spreads, and shapes a narrative is crucial in today’s digital landscape. Trends often begin as isolated events or incidents that gain momentum on social media. Various actors – individuals, organizations, and even governments – spread and promote trends to push an agenda or narrative. This involves strategically using hashtags, keywords, and messaging to reach more people and change public opinion.
Promptly investigating and exposing such propaganda is crucial to stop the spread of misinformation and disinformation. Timely debunking not only safeguards the integrity of public discourse but also helps mitigate potential social, political, and security implications of misinformation campaigns. It empowers people to make informed decisions and promotes transparency and accountability online, ultimately making society more resilient against manipulation and deception.
