ISLAMABAD - The top security czar yesterday said social media in Pakistan was playing a negative role by spreading harmful propaganda in the ongoing war on terror – an indication that the government may bring in tough laws to regulatory laws.

“Social media here is playing very negative,” Interior Minister Ch Nisar told reporters during a briefing about a high-profile security meeting on Karachi against the backdrop of the killing of Qawwal Amjad Sabri and kidnapping of Sindh High Court CJ’s son.

“Anonymous sources are spreading rumours, bringing down the morale of security forces. No one knows either a terrorist or a RAW agent is doing so,” the minister said.

Annoyed at social media, the minister said, "I don’t get into this dirt but I receive reports about the social media from my ministry.” Nisar appreciated the role of mainstream media and appealed to the people to use social media for spreading country's narrative on counter-terrorism effectively. He said media reps would soon be invited to devise a strategy to bring the nation out of this psychological warfare and a counter-terror narrative would be introduced in consultations with religious scholars after Eidul Fitr.

Nisar avoided disclosing if the security agencies got some lead to solve the mysteries of Qawwal’s killing and kidnapping of SHC CJ’s son. He warned not to allege any political party in this connection. He said the two incidents were part of the strategy of terrorists to spread disappointment among masses. “The world called our fight against terrorism a success story,” he said.

He said the civilian and military leadership took a number of decisions at the security meeting in Karachi corps headquarters the other day. The meeting reiterated its resolve to bring the culprits to book, he said.

“The meeting decided to build capacity of Sindh police for permanent peace. The Sindh government would recruit 20,000 cops and induct 2000 ex-servicemen into their fleet. The army would assist recruitment and training,” he briefed the reporters.

Moreover, he said decisions on documentation of Karachi population, setting up a national registration authority, policy to fend off the use of international mobile phones for extortion purposes and introduction of a special law to prevent CPEC from saboteurs were taken.

About stopping terror financing, he said a meeting was scheduled for the next week to go for out of the box solution. NACTA, SBP and provincial CTDs as well as home departments would be invited to the meeting, he added.

Citing UN's Country Report 2015 about Pakistan, he said security situation was improved. But, he added that a single incident spoiled the months-long performance of security agencies. He announced that the Centre lifted the ban on the participation of Pakistani police in the UN Peacekeeping Missions.