Another YouTuber held for spying
New Delhi: In a shocking revelation, the State Special Operations Cell (SSOC) in Mohali has exposed a critical espionage network linked to Jasbir Singh, a resident of Village Mahlan in Rupnagar, Punjab.
Singh, who runs a YouTube channel called "Jaan Mahal," has been found to be associated with PIO Shakir alias Jutt Randhawa, a key figure in a terror-backed espionage network.
Officials said the investigations have revealed that Singh maintained close contact with Haryana-based YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who was recently arrested for spying. Furthermore, he was also in touch with Ehsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a Pakistani national and expelled Pak High Commission official.
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How Pakistan's Shehbaz Sharif, Asim Munir are being trolled at Times Square
A truck-mounted digital billboard in New York's Times Square has become the latest flashpoint in Pakistan's deepening political crisis. The screen lambasted Pakistan's military and political leadership, including Field Marshal Asim Munir and PM Shehbaz Sharif, while lionising jailed ex-PM Imran Khan read more A viral video showed a digital billboard at Times Square in New York City publicly criticised Pakistan army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and PM Shehbaz Sharif. File Image/X A truck-mounted digital billboard in New York's Times Square has turned heads after it displayed criticism of Pakistan's top political and military leaders. The visuals — now widely circulated on social media — targeted Paksitan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari, portraying them in deeply negative terms while simultaneously portraying former Prime Minister Imran Khan as a wronged leader. The display, which featured rotating digital messages, was reportedly funded by overseas supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the political party led by Khan. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It included several direct and unfiltered accusations, such as calling Munir a 'Fraud Marshal,' 'liar,' 'loser,' and someone who would 'do anything for self-interest.' Zardari and Sharif were depicted as accomplices in political deception, with a label that read, 'The deceiver and his two crooks.' This act of protest, occurring in one of the world's busiest commercial districts, is being seen as an embarrassment and criticism of Pakistan's ongoing internal crisis as the role of the military in civilian affairs deepens. How Pak leaders are being called out Videos capturing the billboard's messages quickly gained traction online, especially among Khan supporters and critics of the military. 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Social media commentary concluded that it was an example of Pakistan's internal dysfunctions spilling into international public spaces. The overall tone of the protest was one of ridicule directed at Pakistan's establishment and a call for accountability, particularly in regard to the army's role in governance and political manipulation. What the backdrop is Pahalgam terror attack & Op Sindoor In early May 2025, following a terror attack in Pahalgam that left 26 dead, India launched Operation Sindoor — a multi-day military campaign targeting terrorist bases operated by groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The Indian Air Force strikes reportedly eliminated over 100 terrorists, including senior figures such as Abdul Rauf Azhar and relatives of Masood Azhar. The offensive, which continued until May 10, led to significant losses on the Pakistani side, ultimately prompting Islamabad to request a ceasefire. 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The Khan-Munir rift The friction between Imran Khan and Munir traces back to the latter's brief stint as head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) during Khan's tenure as Prime Minister. Since Munir's appointment as Army Chief in late 2022, relations between Khan's PTI and the military establishment have sharply deteriorated. In May 2023, Khan was arrested on multiple charges — including corruption, retaining state gifts, and leaking classified documents. His camp, however, has dismissed the allegations as part of a broader campaign by the military to erase his influence. His legal troubles, coupled with successive convictions and disqualifications, have effectively barred him from contesting future elections. Following Khan's arrest, his supporters launched nationwide protests. Demonstrations erupted across Pakistan's major urban centres, with one of the most significant incidents being the attack on the Corps Commander's residence in Lahore. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The state responded with an expansive crackdown, detaining thousands of PTI workers and leaders. Several members of Khan's inner circle defected or went underground to escape arrest. Despite this repression, Khan's popularity among large sections of the public has remained intact. Even from prison, his supporters view him as a victim of political engineering and military overreach. His party's affiliates reportedly secured the highest number of parliamentary seats in the 2024 general elections, but a coalition led by Shehbaz Sharif's PML-N was ultimately able to form the government — thanks, many believe, to military support. What the display at Times Square symbolises The Times Square billboard is not an isolated incident but rather a reflection of a wider sentiment among Pakistanis abroad, particularly in North America and Europe. Many overseas PTI supporters see Khan as a leader who challenged the military's influence and paid the price for doing so. For them, the billboard was both a form of protest and a way to reclaim the narrative. This overseas anger comes at a time when Munir is consolidating power within Pakistan, and his government is increasing efforts to suppress dissent. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Also Watch: While the Pakistani establishment continues to push the narrative of national unity and success in the face of foreign threats, public stunts like these highlight the persistent divisions and eroding public trust, especially among the youth and diaspora. The backlash also serves as a reminder that, despite Islamabad's official efforts to present Munir as a figure of strength and victory, for many — he remains a deeply controversial figure. With inputs from agencies
News18
an hour ago
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Marching In Reverse: How Pakistan Celebrates Defeats As ‘National Holidays'
Last Updated: Unless Pakistanis demand accountability from the establishment, their nation will remain ensnared in a cycle of self-deception, mistaking every backward step for progress Pakistan has long been characterised by contradictions, and its leadership has once again veered into the realm of performative patriotism. On this occasion, however, they have gone beyond their usual reliance on rhetoric or censorship, choosing instead to officially commemorate what is widely regarded as a strategic failure in the recent military standoff with India, following the latter's Operation Sindoor, which struck militant infrastructure and military targets without reprisal. On 13 May, the Shehbaz Sharif administration announced a new national holiday, Youm-e-Markaz-e-Haq (Day of the Battle for Truth), to be observed annually on 10 May — not to mark a victory, but what officials framed as a moral success over India, despite experiencing significant military losses during the four-day conflict. The circumstances surrounding this newly instituted national 'day of valour" are far from obscure. Between 6-7 and 10 May, South Asia experienced an escalation of armed conflict between India and Pakistan. In response to the Pahalgam massacre, in which 26 Indian civilians were killed by Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Toiba militants on 22 April, India undertook Operation Sindoor during the night of 6–7 May, aiming to demonstrate deterrence and punitive intent. The operation targeted no fewer than nine locations housing militant infrastructure and training camps across the Line of Control and within Pakistani territory. Independent analysts and satellite imagery have substantiated India's precision strikes on terror-related logistics. In retaliation, Pakistan's military launched its own Operation Bunyan Marsoos on 10 May, which included drone swarm offensives; however, all were effectively neutralised by India's Air Defence Systems, which intercepted and destroyed dozens of Turkish-made drones in large numbers. In a significant escalation, Indian armed forces targeted at least nine Pakistan Air Force (PAF) bases, extending across the country from the Nur Khan airbase near Islamabad/Rawalpindi to Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, Chunian, Pasrur, and Sialkot, among others. With several airbases rendered largely inoperative, Islamabad was compelled to pursue de-escalation through Director General of Military Operations (DGMO)-level dialogue by the evening of 10 May. However, the DG-ISPR, the media arm of Pakistan's Armed Forces, reverted to its well-established narrative strategy by asserting that a 'befitting reply" had been delivered to India's precision strikes, despite clear evidence to the contrary. Such rhetoric has become a defining feature of the military's public relations discourse. Despite professing a commitment to transparency, the Pakistani establishment—along with its civilian front—has once again avoided offering genuine openness or accountability. Instead, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif capitulated to the military establishment's every exaggerated demand, aligning himself with its mythmaking apparatus. As part of these symbolic gestures, on 13 May, PM Sharif proclaimed that 10 May would henceforth be observed annually as Youm-e-Marka-e-Haq (Day of the Battle for Truth), in a show of support for the Pakistani armed forces. Furthermore, the government extended this orchestrated display by designating 16 May as Youm-e-Tashakur (Day of Gratitude), ostensibly to express thanks to divine forces for safeguarding the nation. Even more notably, General Asim Munir, the current Army Chief, was conferred the rare military rank of Field Marshal, becoming only the second Pakistan Army General to receive this title since General Ayub Khan in 1959. This elevation is symbolic rather than operational, reflecting more the military's intent to project strength than any substantive achievement on the battlefield. However, these recent developments provide insight into the broader pattern whereby the Pakistani state—especially its military establishment—routinely transforms setbacks into celebrations to uphold its legitimacy. In the process, it not only actively reshapes historical narratives in real time but also employs national holidays as instruments of diversion and morale control. The strategy itself dates back several decades. In 1965, Pakistan launched Operation Gibraltar, aiming to provoke an uprising in Jammu and Kashmir by infiltrating regular army troops. The operation, however, ended in failure, triggering the full-scale Indo-Pak War of 1965. Ultimately, Pakistan ceded more territory than it gained and was compelled to agree to a ceasefire through the Tashkent Agreement of 1966. Nevertheless, each year on 6 September, the country observes Defence Day—a solemn patriotic occasion featuring military parades and speeches glorifying Pakistan's alleged martial superiority. In 1999, Pakistani forces unlawfully crossed the Line of Control and seized strategic mountain positions in the Kargil region. The operation, carried out without civilian government approval, led to the deaths of hundreds of Pakistani soldiers as India launched a counteroffensive to retake the area. Nevertheless, General Pervez Musharraf—the architect of the Kargil debacle, appointed Army Chief by Nawaz Sharif after bypassing two senior officers only months earlier—soon assumed control through a military coup. Even today, Kargil is remembered in segments of Pakistan's national narrative not as a failure, but as a bold display of military ingenuity. What remains consistent across these episodes is the deliberate reconfiguration of national memory. Military defeats are recast as stories of resistance, while tactical blunders are reframed as moral triumphs. This extends beyond mere propaganda; it represents a sustained strategy of narrative management that shields the military from accountability and ensures the civilian government remains subordinate to the armed forces' entrenched authority. By designating 10 May as Youm-e-Markaz-e-Haq, the state is not merely revising the narrative of a military confrontation but is also proactively undermining dissent, stifling debate, and conditioning future generations to prioritise myth over reality. Educational institutions will present it as a moment of national victory, much like the portrayal of Operation Gibraltar. Any critiques highlighting strategic failures or the true economic, diplomatic, and military costs are likely to be marginalised or suppressed. The utility of these contrived holidays is multifaceted. Firstly, they offer a cathartic release for a population grappling with economic hardship, political turmoil, and international isolation. In a nation beset by soaring inflation, a depreciating rupee, and frequent IMF bailouts, mythologised nationalism provides an inexpensive form of escapism that discourages critical inquiry. Secondly, such observances function as tests of loyalty. By requiring public participation in the commemoration of fabricated victories, the state fosters an environment where patriotism becomes performative and dissent is deemed perilous. Thirdly, and arguably most cynically, these holidays reinforce the military's hold over national identity. While in most democracies national holidays commemorate independence, revolution, civil rights, or peace, Pakistan's calendar is increasingly dominated by observances that glorify the military's role as protector and guardian, despite historical evidence to the contrary. These occasions are not simply commemorations but tools of militarised nationalism, deliberately crafted to obscure inconvenient realities. While every nation possesses its own symbols and moments of unity can be vital, when these symbols are founded on falsehoods and unity rests upon denial, the outcome is not strength but stagnation. Consequently, the Pakistani establishment is offering its population triumphalism and a continuous stream of delusion rather than the truthful account to which they are entitled. top videos View all Moving forward, although Youm-e-Markaz-e-Haq will likely be observed with parades, speeches, and patriotic songs, behind the flags and slogans lies the reality of a state regressing—where defeats are recast as triumphs, and history is rewritten not by scholars but by military leaders. Unless Pakistanis demand accountability from the establishment, their nation will remain ensnared in a cycle of self-deception, mistaking every backward step for progress. The writer is an author and a columnist. His X handle is @ArunAnandLive. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. tags : Asim Munir Operation Sindoor pakistan Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 06, 2025, 16:37 IST News opinion Global Watch | Marching In Reverse: How Pakistan Celebrates Defeats As 'National Holidays'
