Elon Musk’s X Flags Post by Pakistan Army’s DG ISPR Account for Spreading Anti-India Propaganda

Elon Musk’s social media platform X has flagged a post from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) account, describing it as propaganda and anti-India disinformation. The post, which claimed that “Indian-sponsored militants” were killed during an army operation in Orakzai District, has now been accompanied by a ‘community note’, a feature that allows users to add context to misleading or false claims.

The DG ISPR account, which serves as the official communication arm of the Pakistan Army, alleged that Indian-backed elements were involved in recent clashes that killed 11 Pakistani soldiers. The post included images of the soldiers and described them as “martyrs.”

However, the X community note directly under the post states:

“DG ISPR has been a propaganda peddler for a long time, to gain political control they even jailed Imran Khan. Pak army don’t have any definitive proof yet they claim it’s India which did this; last month the army killed 30 Pak citizens in bombing and tried to put blame on India.”

The note also cites independent news sources, including Al Jazeera and Moneycontrol, as references to counter the DG ISPR’s narrative.

This marks a rare instance where X’s fact-checking mechanism has publicly contradicted an official military communication from a sovereign state. It also underscores how platforms like X are increasingly being used as tools of information warfare, and how the same platforms are now trying to check that influence through community-driven moderation.

The move comes amid growing scrutiny of state-run propaganda on social media. Pakistan’s military and political establishment have long been accused of using digital platforms to shape public opinion, both domestically and internationally. India has frequently rejected these allegations as part of an ongoing campaign of misinformation targeting New Delhi.

For Elon Musk’s X, this incident signals an evolving approach to content moderation in geopolitically sensitive regions. The platform, which has positioned itself as a champion of “free speech,” now faces the challenge of balancing open dialogue with the need to curb false or inflammatory narratives that could escalate regional tensions.

While DG ISPR has not officially responded to the community note, the development has sparked widespread debate across both Indian and Pakistani social media circles, with many calling it a “historic moment” where propaganda was called out in real time by users themselves.

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