The Pakistan Army, which is alleged to have huge business interests, must acquire a television channel 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.

It said "Indian media invasion could not be countered during the 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".

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.

... contd.

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