Inter-Services Public Relations

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) is the media and public relations wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces. It coordinates and broadcasts military news and information to the country’s civilian media and civil society. The ISPR tracks both domestic and international media and protects the Pakistan Armed Forces from receiving negative coverage within the country.

The ISPR directorate serves the purpose of strengthening the military’s relations with civil society through extensive interactions with the Pakistani media to provide a controlled insight into the military’s inner circles for the general populace. It also serves as the premier voice and face of the Pakistani military, with its director-general (colloquially referred to as the DG ISPR) serving as the official spokesperson of the armed forces. Additionally, the ISPR provides funding and assists independent filmmakers in the production of military-related media such as military dramas and war films, while also producing promotional films and media of its own accord.

Overview

The Directorate of the Inter–Services Public Relations (ISPR) was established in 1949 with army colonel Shahbaz Khan becoming its first director-general. The ISPR operates as a unified public relations system for the Pakistan’s military, which combined army, air force, navy, and marines. The ISPR manage the public relations requirement of the armed forces, and is staff with the combined personnel of the military along with civilian officers. It functions at the Joint Staff Headquarters (JS HQ) and plays an important role for gathering a national support for the armed forces at the public level. The ISPR also strengthened support for the military’s assigned contingency operations while undermining the will of the adversary.

In views of US army colonel John Adache, the ISPR interfaces between the armed forces, civil media, and the civic society. Furthermore, the ISPR also formulates the media policy of the unified armed forces, safeguards the military interests of the armed forces from negative influence, and monitors international and domestic media reporting regarding its military issues.

On regular basis, the ISPR broadcasts the televised news regarding the strategic arsenals testings, contingency operations and military exercises— both at foreign and domestic areas. In Pakistan’s military staff appointments and assignments, the ISPR is one of the most prestigious directorate of Pakistan Armed Forces.

Its executive authority, a director-general, is a chief military spokesperson of the Pakistan Armed Forces who reports to Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Secretariat; Chief of Army Staff as well the head also directly report to Chief of Air Staff, Commandant of Marines, and the Chief of Naval Staff.

Operations

The ISPR directorate is staffed with combined personnel of Pakistan’s unified military along with civilian bureaucrats and officials. The ISPR functioned at the JS HQ and responsible for garnering national support for the armed forces as well as strengthen 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. 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.

It is likely that the army is planning the further expansion of ISPR to counter negative propaganda against the state and armed forces by international powers and their funded domestic media campaigns, in ongoing operation against terror outfits and economic terrorism. That’s why, for the first time in its history ISPR was being led by a three-star general, Lt-General Asim Saleem Bajwa.

Principal media network

On regular basis, the ISPR release televised press releases on regarding the ongoing military exercises, and notified the civilian media about the ingenious strategic arsenal testings.

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.

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 (Bol TV, Pak TV et al.) and radio stations (FM 89.04, FM 96.00) to indoctrinate pro-military narrative.

ISPR has regularly been criticized for posting inflammatory tweets on their official Twitter account. In April 2017, Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (a BPS-21 officer) posted a tweet ‘rejecting’ Prime Minister’s directives to probe Dawn Leaks controversy. After huge public outcry over the choice of words, ISPR had to redact its earlier tweet.

Media productions

Since the 1990s, the ISPR has been producing miniseries, drama, and films on military fiction. Some of its works include: Alpha Bravo Charlie— a television series on Pakistan Army directed by Shoaib Mansoor in 1990

• Shahpar— a television drama on Pakistan Air Force funded by ISPR and broadcast at ARY Digital
• PNS Ghazi (Shaheed)— a thriller drama based on Pakistan Navy broadcast at PTV
• Waar
• The Glorious Resolve
• Ek Thi Marium
• Sher Dil (2019)
• Ehd-e-Wafa
• Ehd-e-Wafa 2

List of ISPR Director Generals