After much hubbub, the general elections in Pakistan are sched­uled to transpire on 08th Fe­burary 2024. The legislative assemblies were dissolved before their consti­tutionally stipulated times, ap­pearing to be cunctative tactics to evade timely elections. The country is, nevertheless, in the midst of farrago of insupera­ble maladies gnawing fair elec­tions. Social media emerges as a crutch to parade propaganda. 

Each political party vies to outshine the other in presenting the content more riveting to that of other’s. The ills of social media culminate with the de­ployment of Al tool, deep fake technol­ogy, assailing fair conduct of elections. The recent incidents of publication of an article and the following video of Imran Khan showcase the dexterity of Al tool in facsimileing a human. A question is invoked: how such an incident may hap­pen while a person of a higher political stature languishes in jail. Also, there is no gainsay that we can confront a video message from any of the state represen­tatives, making announcement of any of the state affairs but all actuated by deep fake technology. And, with this technol­ogy bearing no rules and regulations of operation, unscrupulous and heart-flut­tering material may well reign social media in the days to come. 

In addition to salt to the injury, it is palpable to see that each political party holds a number of social media accounts, instituting people different kind of infor­mation: irrespective of accuracy of infor­mation and appropriateness of language. Such exercises are meant to galvanize public support, however. The race of em­ploying Al tools is improbable to end in view of grimness of issues confronting Pakistan. Public woes on other hand con­tinue to be in limbo. Rise in external debt crops up each day. And, the reserves lose the strength to be sufficient for running the state affairs. The ongoing political stunts sound off-key, raising question as to whether such gimmicks suit in these reduced circumstances. 

However unsoundness comes from the kitsch stunts of politics, there does not appear any imminent dip in such tawdry stunts. The need hereby arises to address these disservices of social media, posing to be the last resort of po­litical parties for their failure in settling public agonies. 

Recently, the caretaker government has constituted a committee to probe the campaign spattering judiciary. The ambit of this fact-finding body must not be restricted to tracing the smear cam­paign against judiciary. The ambit of this fact-finding committee must be expand­ed to scrutinizing social media platform bruiting disinformation and furor. What comes on the heel of fact-finding and envisioning other penal steps to take is sensibility to be abided by.

Abdul Moiz Dar
The writer is a student of Law. He can be reached at abdulmoiz1219@icloud.com