[DAWN] A hashtag calling for the arrest of journalists briefly became the top Twitter trend in Pakistain on Thursday, deepening concern over a shrinking space for dissent in the country.
The hashtag #ArrestAntiPakjournalists had dropped to second place by evening, but not before it had been used or forwarded more than 28,000 times.
Many users accompanied it with a composite photograph of prominent journalists and TV anchors, some of whom regularly criticise the ruling Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf
...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem , each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations....
(PTI) of Prime Minister Imran Khan
... aka The Great Khan , who ain't the brightest knife in the national drawer...
and the powerful military establishment.
"These are the people who are responsible for chaos, anarchy, manipulation. They are the real enemy of the states," said one tweet.
"Hang them all #ArrestAntiPakJournalists," said another.
Criticism of the country's powerful security establishment has long been seen as a red line for the media, with journalists and bloggers complaining of intimidation tactics including kidnappings, beatings, and even killings if they cross that line.
Last year, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said in a report that the military has "quietly, but effectively, set restrictions on reporting", although it denies doing so.
Shahzad Ahmed, of digital rights group Bytes for All, said the hashtag appeared to have been "planted" by pro-PTI accounts and was not "genuine public opinion".
"There are organised groups who start such trends... which is a very dangerous phenomenon in our country, regarding freedom of expression and personal freedom," he told AFP. 
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