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A UK-based political and human rights activist who survived an assassination attempt has condemned what he calls a “pathetic and desperate propaganda stunt” by Pakistan’s military media wing, after his photograph was falsely included in a fabricated ISPR-style graphic portraying exiled Baloch activists as MI6 operatives.
Aomar Karim, who has been living in exile in Britain since 2022 after surviving a gun attack that left one bullet permanently lodged in his body, said the latest attempt to smear him “shows panic, not power” within Pakistan’s military establishment.
The graphic, circulated on social media on 22 March 2025, groups peaceful activists, asylum seekers, and journalists into fictional intelligence ‘tiers’. Karim appears under “asylum seekers” category with claims of MI6 involvement — statements for which no evidence exists.
The design has been widely mocked, including by analysts who described it as “something a teenager would create on Photoshop.”
A Survivor Targeted Once Again
Karim fled Pakistan, being shot twice. One bullet was removed, but a second remains in his body — a permanent reminder of the risks faced by Baloch activists who speak out against enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings.
He came to the UK seeking safety, but says this propaganda campaign shows that Pakistan’s military continues to target critics even abroad.
“This is not intelligence work — it’s intimidation,” he said privately. “They want to silence anyone who talks about human rights abuses.”
Aomar Karim’s tweet reads:
“@JaneMarriottUK @FCDOGovUK @ukhomeoffice
Take a look at this groundless propaganda from the #PakistaniArmy’s information operations, managed by the #ISPR, under the direction of Maj Gen Kamran Tabrez Savera, Brigadier Waheed Abid Khattak, and Col Shahzad Raza. #StopBalochGenocide”
Wider Crackdown on Baloch Voices
While the fabricated graphic targeted a range of exiled Baloch figures, the Pakistani military’s broader campaign has also drawn condemnation from senior Baloch political leaders, including Brahumdagh Bugti, Hyrbyair Marri, and Mehran Marri.
On 6 January 2026, Dr Naseem Baloch, Chairman of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), said in a statement that the DG ISPR’s attempt to label peaceful activists and journalists as “terrorists” reflects “panic and moral collapse rather than authority.”
Dr Naseem described the entire campaign as a deliberate effort to criminalise dissent and divert attention from Pakistan’s grave human rights violations.
Dr Naseem said the inclusion of individuals such as himself, his colleague Jamal Baloch, PAANK media coordinator; renowned human rights defender and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Mahrang Baloch; prominent lawyer and human rights activist Iman Mazari; and respected journalist Kiyya Baloch in this fabricated list is a calculated effort to delegitimise peaceful political struggle and create justification for further persecution. He added that these actions have nothing to do with security, but are deliberate conspiracies designed to intimidate, target, and suppress voices advocating truth, justice, and freedom.
“Propaganda Cannot Erase Reality”
Human rights groups warn that Pakistan’s propaganda efforts frequently precede harassment, surveillance, or threats against exiled activists.
Karim says he refuses to be intimidated.
“I came to the UK after surviving bullets. A Photoshop graphic won’t stop me from speaking the truth,” he said.
He continues to highlight abuses in Balochistan, including enforced disappearances, collective punishment, and the killing of activists abroad — cases that many in the Baloch community attribute to Pakistani state-linked operations.
For exiled activists like Karim, the ISPR’s propaganda may be a nuisance, but it is also a reminder of the risks they face simply for demanding human rights, dignity, and freedom.
