'Pak Army needs TV channel to counter Indian propaganda'

Islamabad, Dec 16: The

, which is alleged to have huge business interests, "must acquire" a television channel for dissemination of propaganda to counter the growing penetration of Indian TV and news channels in the country, a senior army officer has suggested.

The unusual recommendation has been made in one of the strategy papers written for the prestigious 'Green Book' of the Pakistan Army that provides rare insights into its ongoing internal debates, The News daily reported today. It said "Indian media invasion could not be countered during Kargil episode".

The strategy papers, written by uniformed professionals, are part of a special chapter in the Green Book titled 'Sub-conventional Warfare'. While slamming the Pakistani media for not countering the penetration of Indian TV and newspapers effectively, Major General Muhammad Azam Asif, who commands an infantry division, has recommended that the Pakistan Army must acquire a television channel as well as a radio station to counter the "Indian propaganda".

Asif has claimed that the Pakistani media lacks credibility among the masses due to which the general public is compelled to tune in to All India Radio, the BBC and Indian satellite channels during a period of crisis or whenever an important event takes place, the media report said. Citing the 1971 war between India and Pakistan, he has stated that the "primary aim of the Indian media was to defeat the enemy psychologically and disarm them morally".

'Green Book' of the Pak Army provides rare insights into its internal debates.

The strategy paper penned for the Green Book by Asif has stated, "Our adversary (India) has taken big strides in acquiring media power and has been putting it to good use for her benefits." "With a number of television channels and remarkable advancement in the information technology, India has attained a total electronic media supremacy over Pakistan."

Therefore, he has called for a brainstorming session between the Pakistani media and the Pakistan Army, saying if the nation is not motivated enough to withstand the aggression, it cannot aspire to preserve freedom. The Green Book is published every two years by the General Headquarters (GHQ) of the Pakistan Army as an internal publication which, as a matter of principle, is kept confidential from the general public.

An army official said, while requesting anonymity, that the Green Book does not necessarily represent the official viewpoint of the institution of the army. Many serving senior army officers have expressed concerns in their strategy papers that Indian TV and print publications (news or entertainment) are available widely across Pakistan through both legitimate means and piracy, the report said.

And there is a feeling in khaki circles that the growing penetration of the Indian TV channels has demoralised the Pakistani nation to the extent that India is seen as a formidable foe which cannot be defeated in war, it said. The Green Book has even claimed that the Kargil war of 1999 was lost by Pakistan because of the relentless media barrage praising the bravery of the Indian troops, thus destroying the fighting spirit of the Pakistan Army.

PTI