DG ISPR Major-General Asif Ghafoor, through his personal twitter account, said: "Irresponsible biased use of social media and vested negative trends can lead to misunderstandings/spats. Sweeping targeted statements or trends against any individual/profession/institution are unethical. One such example is sweeping trend against journalists," ending it with the hashtag StayResponsible.
His tweet, however, did not specify if he was addressing anyone in particular.
The alarming hashtag ArrestAntiPakjournalists was used or forwarded more than 28,000 times on Thursday. Many users accompanied it with a composite photograph of some journalists and anchors, some of whom regularly criticise Prime Minister Imran Khan and the powerful military establishment.