70% tweets on TLP issue came from fake accounts, reveals PM
Imran Khan says expelling French envoy will badly damage Pakistan's economy and won't end Islamophobia
News Desk
April 19, 2021
Prime Minister
Imran Khan has revealed that “external forces” tried to exploit violent
Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protests by spreading fake news on social media platforms.
“We have reviewed 400,000 tweets, 70% of which came from fake accounts,” he said while addressing the nation on Monday.
The premier added that 380 Indian contacts were also detected in several WhatsApp groups spreading fake news regarding the law and order in the country.
"Don't play into the hands of our enemies," he said while conveying message to the recently banned outfit.
PM Imran said due to the violent protests across the country at least four policemen were martyred and over 800 personnel of law enforcement agencies sustained injuries.
He said owing to road blockade by the protesters citizens across the country faced immense difficulties and deaths were also reported in hospitals due to the disruption in oxygen supply to the hospitals amid the novel coronavirus pandemic
While lashing out at opposition parties, he said that JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman also supported the deadly protest in a bid to destabilise the PTI government.
The prime minister also said severing ties with France will damage Pakistan’s relations with
European Union (EU) which will also damage the country’s economy and export.
“After much difficulties, the country's economy is reviving, the rupee is stabilising, inflation in coming down, if we sever ties with France it will mean that our ties with the EU will be severed and doing so will hurt Pakistan's textile industry as most of our textile products exported to European countries,” he added.
Moreover, traders across the country have decided to
keep markets shut after Mufti Muneebur Rehman, the former chairman of Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, late Sunday called for a nationwide strike after police action in Lahore against TLP workers.
He also asked political parties to support his call.
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and JI Chief Sirajul Haq later backed the call and asked their supporters to conduct a peaceful protest.
Earlier in the day, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid announced that after a successful round of negotiation with Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, the proscribed outfit had released 11 policemen taken hostage from Lahore on Sunday.
“First round of negotiations have been successful which have led to TLP releasing the policemen it had held hostage. The second round of negotiations will begin after sehri,” the federal minister said in an early morning video message.
A deputy superintendent of police along with 10 other policemen was apparently taken hostage and tortured by workers of TLP in Lahore on Sunday.
