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==Principal media network==
==Principal media network==


On regular basis, the ISPR release televised press releases on regarding the ongoing [[military exercises]], and notified the [[Media of Pakistan|civilian media]] about the ingenious strategic arsenal testings.<ref>{{cite web|title=ISPR Press Release on testings|url=https://www.ispr.gov.pk/front/main.asp?o=t-press_release&id=2707#pr_link2707|publisher=ISPR Press Release|date=17 November 2014|access-date=30 November 2017}}</ref><ref name="ISPR Press Release, timeline">{{cite web|last1=DG ISPR|title=ISPR Press release|url=https://www.ispr.gov.pk/front/main.asp?o=t-pr_archive&mon=10&yr=2014&styr=2013|publisher=ISPR Press Release, timeline|access-date=18 November 2014}}</ref>
On regular basis, the ISPR release televised press releases on the ongoing [[military exercises]], and notifies the [[Media of Pakistan|civilian media]] about the ingenious strategic arsenal testings.<ref>{{cite web|title=ISPR Press Release on testings|url=https://www.ispr.gov.pk/front/main.asp?o=t-press_release&id=2707#pr_link2707|publisher=ISPR Press Release|date=17 November 2014|access-date=30 November 2017}}</ref><ref name="ISPR Press Release, timeline">{{cite web|last1=DG ISPR|title=ISPR Press release|url=https://www.ispr.gov.pk/front/main.asp?o=t-pr_archive&mon=10&yr=2014&styr=2013|publisher=ISPR Press Release, timeline|access-date=18 November 2014}}</ref>


Apart from functioning as the public relations body of the [[Pakistan Armed Forces|armed forces]], the ISPR handles exclusive dissemination of information regarding Pakistan's ongoing military [[War in North-West Pakistan|contingency operations]].<ref name="Govt. of Pakistan (PowerPoint)" />
Apart from functioning as the public relations body of the [[Pakistan Armed Forces|armed forces]], the ISPR handles exclusive dissemination of information regarding Pakistan's ongoing military [[War in North-West Pakistan|contingency operations]].<ref name="Govt. of Pakistan (PowerPoint)" />

== Controversies ==

In recent years, there have been accusations of ISPR going beyond its domain and meddling in media affairs to undermine democracy. Concerns have been raised on ISPR handling media channels such as Bol TV and Pak TV and radio stations such as FM 89.04, FM 96.00 to push a pro-military narrative.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/pakistan/how-many-radio-stations-journalists-work-for-you-asma-jahangir-asks-ispr/|title=How many radio stations, journalists work for you? Asma Jahangir asks ISPR|work=Daily Pakistan Global|access-date=2017-12-22|language=en-US}}</ref>
ISPR has regularly been criticized for posting inflammatory tweets on their official Twitter account. In April 2017, Lieutenant Gen Asif Ghafoor posted a tweet 'rejecting' Prime Minister's directives to probe Dawn Leaks controversy.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/1396876/pakistan-army-rejects-govt-notification-dawn-leaks/|title=Army rejects PM Office statement on Dawn Leaks report - The Express Tribune|date=2017-04-29|work=The Express Tribune|access-date=2017-12-22|language=en-US}}</ref> After huge public outcry over the choice of words, ISPR had to redact its earlier tweet.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1332244|title=Army withdraws tweet 'rejecting' PM Office's directives on Dawn story probe|last=Dawn.com|date=2017-05-10|work=DAWN.COM|access-date=2017-12-22|language=en-US}}</ref>

A controversy of "Umme Hareem" went viral on the social media when the ISPR shared an anti-PTI post on its official account. This went viral as netizens pointed out that the original post was shared from a fake account. <ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-04 |title=Imran Khan mentioned "Umm e Hareem" in his Speech |url=https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/imran-khan-mentioned-umm-e-hareem-in-his-speech.748315/ |access-date=2023-06-19 |website=Pakistan Defence |language=en-US}}</ref> The former Prime Minister [[Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi]] in his speech <ref>{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=2022-08-04 |title=Who is Umme Hareem Imran Khan mentioned in his speech? |url=https://thenamal.com/featured/who-is-umme-hareem-imran-khan-mentioned-in-his-speech/ |access-date=2023-06-19 |website=The Namal |language=en}}</ref> taking a dig and pointed this out. <ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-27 |title=The Umme Hareem Phenomenon |url=https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2022/08/27/the-umme-hareem-phenomenon/ |access-date=2023-06-19 |language=en-US}}</ref>

Since the Operation Regime Change, the people of Pakistan turned against army <ref>{{Cite news |title=Pakistanis turn against the army |newspaper=The Economist |url=https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/12/01/pakistanis-turn-against-the-army |access-date=2023-06-19 |issn=0013-0613}}</ref> and to counter this, public saw a number of banners & posters with photos of army officials along with "cringe" slogans <ref>{{Cite web |last=Yasin |first=Aamir |date=2023-05-14 |title=Pro-army banners spring up in Rawalpindi |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1752959 |access-date=2023-06-19 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}</ref> in favor of army. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/IMSR786/status/1660413806088974337|title=IMSR786 on X|access-date=2023-08-18}}</ref>

On 9 May 2023, former Prime Minister [[Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi]] was "arrested" from the premises of
Islamabad High Court, by paramilitary forces,<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2023-05-09 |title=Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan arrested by paramilitary police |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/09/asia/imran-khan-arrest-intl/index.html |access-date=2023-06-19 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> when he was in the process to get bail from few of 150+ Cases registered against him by the government.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-22 |title=Over 100 FIRs registered against Imran Khan and PTI, LHC told |url=https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2023/03/22/over-100-firs-registered-against-imran-khan-and-pti-lhc-told/ |access-date=2023-06-19 |language=en-US}}</ref> The DG ISPR released a political statement stating that the arrest was legal.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Inter Services Public Relations Pakistan |url=https://www.ispr.gov.pk/press-release-detail?id=6533 |access-date=2023-06-19 |website=www.ispr.gov.pk}}</ref> However, the Supreme Court of Pakistan declared the arrest illegal and termed it as abduction, stating it was not the ISPR's job to decided Khan's arrest legality.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pakistan Supreme Court Orders Imran Khan's Release, Terms Arrest 'Illegal' |url=https://thewire.in/south-asia/pakistan-pti-leaders-arrest-violent-protests-imran-khan |access-date=2023-06-19 |website=The Wire}}</ref>


==Media productions ==
==Media productions ==

Revision as of 09:07, 26 December 2023

This article is about the Pakistani military media directorate. For the Bangladeshi directorate, see Inter-Services Public Relations (Bangladesh).

Inter-Services Public Relations
AbbreviationISPR
FormationMay 1949; 75 years ago (1949-05)
TypeMilitary Organization
PurposeCivil-Military Relations
HeadquartersRawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan
Region
Pakistan
Official language
Urdu, English
Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry
Parent organization
Pakistan Armed Forces
AffiliationsGovernment of Pakistan
Websitewww.ispr.gov.pk

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) (Template:Lang-ur), is the media and public relations wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces. It broadcasts and coordinates military news and information to the country's civilian media and the civic society.[1]

The ISPR directorate serves the purpose of aiming to strengthen public relations with the civic society, and civil society through interacting with the media.[1] The directorate also works as the principle voice of the Pakistan's military, with its director-general serving as the official spokesperson of the armed forces.[1]

Overview

The Directorate of the Inter–Services Public Relations (ISPR) was established in 1949 with army colonel Shahbaz Khan becoming its first director-general.[1] The ISPR operates as a unified public relations system for the Pakistan Armed Forces, which includes army, air force, navy, and marines.[1] The ISPR manages the public relations requirement of the armed forces, and is staffed with the combined personnel of the military along with civilian officers.[1] It plays an important role for gathering a national support for the armed forces at the public level.[1] The ISPR also aims to strengthen support for the military's assigned contingency operations while undermining the perceived stature of the adversary.[1]

In views of US army colonel John Adache, the ISPR interfaces between the armed forces, civil media, and the civic society.[1] Furthermore, the ISPR also formulates the media policy of the unified armed forces, and aims to safeguard the military interests of the armed forces from negative sentiment. The ISPR also monitors international and domestic media, surveying the nature of international reporting regarding Pakistan's military issues.[1]

On a regular basis, the ISPR broadcasts televised news regarding the strategic operations in foreign and domestic areas. In Pakistan's military staff appointments and assignments, the ISPR is often perceived as one of the most prestigious directorates of Pakistan Armed Forces.[1]

Its executive authority, a director-general, is a chief military spokesperson of the Pakistan Armed Forces.

Operations

ISPR is responsible for garnering national support for the armed forces as well as strengthening their resolve to accomplish the assigned mission while undermining the will of the adversary.

It also acts as an interface between the armed forces, the media and the public.[2] It formulates much of the media policy of Pakistan's military, safeguards the armed forces from negative influences and monitors both international and domestic media.

Principal media network

On regular basis, the ISPR release televised press releases on the ongoing military exercises, and notifies the civilian media about the ingenious strategic arsenal testings.[3][4]

Apart from functioning as the public relations body of the armed forces, the ISPR handles exclusive dissemination of information regarding Pakistan's ongoing military contingency operations.[2]

Media productions

Main article: Inter-Services Public Relations media productions

Since the 1990s, the ISPR has been producing miniseries, drama, and films on military fiction. The first ISPR drama was Sunehray Din which was released in 1991.[5] Some of the most famous dramas of ISPR include Ehd-e-Wafa, Waar, Shahpar, Ek Thi Marium and Sinf-e-Aahan. ISPR also made its first animated series Team Muhafiz in collaboration with Geo Entertainment which broadcast in 2022. Apart from dramas, the ISPR has also released many songs with the first one being titled "Rang Layega Shaheedon Ka Lahoo" which was released in 2009. ISPR has also released documentary films with the first one being The Glorious Resolve, released in 2011.[6] ISPR is well known for its media productions.

List of ISPR Director Generals

Rank and Name Start of Term End of Term
Colonel Shahbaz Khan May 1949 July 1952[7]
Commodore Maqbool Hussain August 1952 October 1965[7]
Colonel Z. A. Suleri November 1965 August 1966[7]
Lieutenant Colonel Masud Ahmed September 1966 February 1967[7]
Brigadier A.R. Siddiqui March 1967 November 1973[7]
Brigadier Fazal ur Rehman December 1973 March 1977[7]
Brigadier T H Siddiqui April 1977 July 1985 [7]
Brigadier Siddique Salik August 1985 17 August 1988 [7]
Major General Riaz Ullah December 1988 September 1991 [7]
Major General Jahangir Nasrullah October 1991 April 1993[7]
Major General Khalid Bashir May 1993 July 1994[7]
Brigadier S M A Iqbal August 1994 February 1995 [7]
Major General Saleem Ullah March 1995 August 1998 [7]
Brigadier Ghazanfar Ali September 1998 October 1998 [7]
Major General Rashid Qureshi November 1998 May 2003 [7]
Major General Shaukat Sultan Khan June 2003 February 2007[7]
Major General Waheed Arshad February 2007 January 2008[7]
Major General Athar Abbas January 2008 June 2012[7]
Lieutenant General Asim Saleem Bajwa 3 June 2012 11 December 2016[7]
Major General Asif Ghafoor 15 December 2016 31 January 2020
Lieutenant General Babar Iftikhar 1 February 2020 5 December 2022
Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry 6 December 2022 Incumbent

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Adache, PhD, Col. John (2014). The Military and Public Relations. Bloomington, Indiana [US]: AuthorHouse Publications. ISBN 978-1496982360. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Govt. of Pakistan (PowerPoint) was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "ISPR Press Release on testings". ISPR Press Release. 17 November 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  4. ^ DG ISPR. "ISPR Press release". ISPR Press Release, timeline. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
  5. ^ "Sunehray Din (TV Mini Series 1991)". IMDb. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  6. ^ "Glorious Resolve (2011)". IMDb. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Ex Directors & Director General of ISPR". Inter-Services Public Relations website. 2 January 2007. Archived from the original on 12 February 2008. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
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