The impact of the perceived quality of NDMA’s misinformation correction in Pakistan on public perception during the COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating roles of engagement, sentiment, and trust

• Studies Pakistan’s NDMA COVID-19 misinformation correction via social media • Engagement, sentiment, and trust mediate effects on public perception outcomes • Trust acts as key role linking emotional response to public cooperation • Combines trust-building and engagement theories in crisis communication research • Advises transparent, interactive, and sentiment-aware governmental messaging This study examines how the National Disaster Management Authority of Pakistan (NDMA) addressed COVID-19 misinformation and its effect on public perception, focusing on the mediating roles of public engagement, sentiment, and trust in government. The study applies trust-building communication theory and social media engagement theory to investigate how corrective communication strategies influence public responses in a politically sensitive, low–digital literacy environment. Data were collected through an online survey of 560 social media users who interacted with NDMA’s official posts. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed relationships. The results demonstrated that perceived quality of misinformation correction promotes engagement and positive sentiment, which subsequently strengthens trust and improves public perception. Trust functions as a central pathway through which emotional and participatory responses enhance confidence in and compliance with governmental guidance. The findings suggest that governmental crisis communication should combine factual corrections with transparent and emotionally resonant messaging, encourage interactive public participation, and monitor sentiment in real time to address emerging concerns. Such strategies can improve institutional trust, counter misinformation, and enhance public cooperation in future crises.