Islamabad [Pakistan], November 16 : Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir on Friday urged to restrict Freedom of Speech as he argued that "unrestricted freedom of speech is contributing to the degradation of moral values in all societies," Dawn reported.
General Munir's remark came during his address at the Margalla Dialogue 2024 in Islamabad where he was speaking on the topic of "Pakistan's role in peace and stability."
Emphasising the impact of technology in spreading false information Munir said that while technology had played an important role in the dissemination of information, "the spread of misleading and incorrect knowledge was a major challenge"
"Without comprehensive laws and regulations, false and misleading information, and hate speech will continue to destabilise political and social structures," he said.
According to Dawn, Munir has been vocal about the dangers of misinformation, that particularly spreads through social media posts.
In the past couple of years, the Pakistan army has been on target of various social media campaigns, reflecting broader tensions within the country's political and social fabric. Pakistan's government has taken measures to stifle that dissent through various measures, Dawn reported.
Previously, Gen Munir warned that social media was being exploited to spread anarchy and false information aimed at the armed forces, while the term 'digital terrorism' is now being used to describe the actions of online critics accused of spreading falsehoods.
Gen Munir, during an address on Independence Day in August, stressed the importance of investigating and verifying information so as not to cause consternation among the people, Dawn reported.
He had said that while the Constitution allowed for freedom of speech, it also contained "clear limits to what constitutes free speech."
"To the inimical forces, let it be clear; that regardless of the multilayered and multidimensional threats piled up against us we stand united and reassured. Traditional or non-traditional, dynamic or proactive, whatever form of warfare is applied against us, our retribution will be sharp and painful and we will certainly strike back," he said earlier.
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