ISLAMABAD: A viral claim circulating on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), that Pakistan’s military destroyed solar panels belonging to a poor Baloch farmer has been debunked as misleading propaganda and, at the same time, a very effective piece of propaganda.
The story of the military having pummelled the farmer’s land as a punishment for his disobedience has been widely shared on social platforms, especially on X (formerly Twitter), by accounts like @ashoswai (Ashok Swain, a Swedish professor) and @GanookJin. Such a narrative depicts the Baloch people as suffering under the state and, at the same time, the army as hypocritical concerning its thought of the people’s interests.
The story first reached the social media users’ ears through the digital activists’ posts coming from India, Afghanistan, and Balochistan, who managed to relate the claim with a general trend of human rights violations in Balochistan. Still, there is no doubt about the detachment of the truth from the assertion as the fact-checkers and various other sources are unanimous in proclaiming the allegations as groundless.
What the Credible Sources Say
To start with, the report of such an incident is completely missing from the major Pakistani and international news outlets, which raises a question mark against the validity of the claims. A clearer context has been provided by the Pakistani authorities. Since the middle of 2025, law enforcement bodies such as the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), Frontier Corps (FC) Balochistan, and local police have been performing extensive drug-related operations in Balochistan with the destruction of the solar-powered irrigation systems utilized for the illegal drug fields as a very important part of the operation in such cases.
The destruction of fields with drugs has only occurred in places like Kohlu, Qila Abdullah, and Duki, which have always been considered the most important places for drug production. The ANF and FC have openly talked about their operations, stating that the solar-powered tube-wells for irrigation are regularly disabled as part of their overall plan to eliminate not only drug production but also its links to terrorism.
The Pakistani military has not made any official statements linking such operations to the non-cooperation of farmers or the destruction of solar panels outside the context of anti-narcotics efforts.
Fact-Checking
Fact-checkers on X have cleared the claim and have Baloch-based sources and Pakistani users among them, who have recognized it as a propaganda campaign set forth by Baloch militant groups like the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) or even external players trying to stir up tensions. The video that is going viral on social media and shows armed men destroying solar panels has been labelled as a footage from these anti-narcotics raids and not as random attacks on the civilian populace.
Balochistan, a region where the illegal drug trade is mingled with militant activities, is regularly overseen by Pakistani law enforcement agencies through border and narcotic operations. Nonetheless, there are no discernible reports that would lend any credence to the “non-cooperation” story. The anti-drug operations are entirely drug trafficking oriented and are not targeted at punishing the farmers for not aiding the military.
Video Context
The video that sparked the viral claim is an actual clip from an anti-narcotics operation in Balochistan. The footage shows FC personnel dismantling solar panels used to power illegal irrigation systems for drug crops. The video was posted on January 18, 2026, by @ashoswai, with no audio or commentary, and quickly spread with misleading claims about state oppression against the Baloch people. Similar posts from other accounts, such as @GanookJin, reuse the video and continue to claim it’s evidence of military violence against civilians, without any supporting evidence.
Verdict: Deceptive and Propaganda
The destruction of solar panels was indeed an authorized anti-narcotic operation aimed at stopping and eliminating illicit drug production, with the military’s claim of punishing a non-cooperative farmer being pure invention and unfounded.
This false narrative is only a tiny part of a grander disinformation plot by activist groups and foreign entities, including Fitna Ul Hind (a regional anti-Pakistan movement) and other factions from India and Afghanistan, who are trying to create enmity in the region by misleadingly depicting Pakistan as the oppressor of the Baloch people.
Public Advisory
The Anti-Narcotics Force of Pakistan, Frontier Corps, and various government departments are cooperating extensively in dealing with the drug-related killings and pushing the region of Balochistan up the development ladder. The public is dissuaded from disseminating unverified videos or comments that have not been confirmed by official sources like ISPR (Inter-Services Public Relations) or ANF. For the purpose of maintaining peace and stability in the region, correct information is thus essential.
