Court suspends blocking of 5 more YouTube channels
Additional District and Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka issued the latest order while hearing appeals against an earlier decision by Judicial Magistrate Abbas Shah, who had approved a request to block 27 YouTube channels on the grounds of allegedly spreading false and misleading content against state institutions.
The latest suspension applies to channels operated by Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Orya Maqbool Jan, Abdul Qadir, Uzair Anwar, and Umair Rafiq. During a previous hearing, the court had already suspended the blocking orders for the channels of noted journalists Matiullah Jan and Asad Toor.
27 YouTube channels banned
However, the court did not issue a decision on the appeal filed by senior journalist Habib Akram, citing his unavailability. His case has been adjourned for a future hearing. The court also issued notices to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), seeking a formal reply by July 21.
Earlier, Judicial Magistrate Abbas Shah had issued orders to block the 27 YouTube channels on the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA)'s petition. Judicial Magistrate Abbas Shah in its two-page written order says, the enquiry officer of the police station Cyber Crime Circle Islamabad (CCCI) of the NCCIA has approached the court under Section 94 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), 1898 and stated that during the course of inquiry evidence regarding 27 YouTube channels it came on record the channels are involved in publicly disseminating/ propagating false, misleading and fake information against the state institutions/ officials.
The order says that in the light of facts explained and evidence presented by the enquiry officer, this court is convinced that the subject matter constitutes offences punishable under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and Penal Laws of Pakistan.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
Govt urges crackdown on 'digital terrorism'
The government on Friday urged the social media companies to immediately remove terrorist contents from their platforms using artificial intelligence (AI), stressing global cooperation against digital terrorism, including data sharing. Addressing a joint press conference in Islamabad with Minister of State for Law Barrister Aqeel Malik, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry emphasised that the removal of terrorist contents from social media did not intended to silence freedom of expression, but to build a wall against the menace. "I want to request social media operators and platforms to cooperate with us on the blockade and removal of accounts, taking measures to stop mirror accounts and to share information of account holders who are operating these accounts," Chaudhry said. Earlier this week, Chaudhry had highlighted how a terrorist group was using WhatsApp channels to "disseminate hateful content and harmful narratives". He told the joint presser that 2,417 complaints related to terrorism on social media were under consideration by the relevant authorities. "Pakistan is a bulwark against terrorism. We have detected hundreds of social media accounts linked to terrorism. Outfits like TTP, IS-K, BLA and BLF are spreading propaganda and recruiting youth through the social media," he said. On the occasion, Barrister Aqeel said that terrorism and propaganda were punishable offenses under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca). "Pakistan has demanded closure of terrorist accounts, automatic blocking, and access to data from social media platforms," he said.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
Pakistan calls on tech firms to curb terror content
Pakistan has ramped up efforts to counter online extremism by urging international social media companies to take stronger action against terrorist content, while inviting them to establish local offices in the country, senior officials said Friday. 'We are building walls against terrorism, not silencing free speech,' said Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhary, during a press briefing outlining Pakistan's new digital security push. He said Pakistan remains a 'global bulwark in the fight against terrorism' and has detected hundreds of terrorism-linked accounts on platforms like Facebook, YouTube and X (formerly Twitter). According to the Ministry of Interior, groups such as Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP), Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) and Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) are actively using social media to spread propaganda and recruit youth. The government said 2,417 complaints related to terrorist content are currently under review, and platforms must respond with urgency. 'Social media companies must use AI to swiftly remove terrorist content,' Chaudhary said. Officials noted that the United Nations has banned ISKP and TTP, while the US and UK have designated BLA a terrorist organisation, adding weight to Pakistan's demands. Minister of Law Barrister Aqeel said promoting terrorist ideology is 'a punishable offence under PECA (Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act),' and warned that 'offenders will face prosecution.' The government has called on global platforms to block terrorist accounts, share IP data and user metadata with authorities and develop and implement automatic detection and blocking algorithms. To facilitate cooperation, Islamabad invited foreign social media firms to establish offices in Pakistan and support efforts to counteract digital radicalisation. 'Pakistan urges international cooperation to counter digital terrorism threats,' Chaudhary said, adding that the country's call aligns with global security efforts.
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Express Tribune
Husband admits sexual violence against teen bride
A 19-year-old newlywed woman from Lyari died on Wednesday after remaining in a coma for 20 days due to a brutal assault and alleged marital rape by her husband, who has since confessed to the crime before a judicial magistrate. The suspect, identified as Ashok, recorded his confessional statement before the judicial magistrate for District South under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Following the confession, the court sent him to jail on judicial remand. Reportedly, the victim was married on June 15. Just two days later, she was allegedly "subjected to sodomy" and assaulted with a metal pipe by her husband, causing critical internal injuries. Her health deteriorated rapidly, and she was admitted to a private hospital before being shifted to the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Trauma Centre at Civil Hospital. Police surgeon confirmed that the medical examination findings were consistent with sexual violence. She stated the victim passed away on Wednesday at the trauma centre. The FIR, lodged by the victim's brother at Baghdadi police station on July 5, initially included charges under Sections 324 (attempt to commit murder) and 376-B (rape) of the Pakistan Penal Code. The complainant stated that the victim had confided in her parents about repeated unnatural sexual acts and physical abuse, including the use of a foreign object, and that she was threatened with dire consequences if she disclosed the abuse. With the victim's death, police said they plan to amend the FIR to include Section 302 (murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code. The investigation remains ongoing. Despite existing anti-rape legislation that mandates the death penalty or imprisonment of 10 to 25 years for rape, such cases continue to surface across the country. In recent months, similar incidents of sexual violence, including assaults on women in their own homes, have been reported in various parts of Karachi and other cities. Man bashes wife's head with brick, slits throat A woman was found dead at her home in Orangi Town on Thursday morning, in what police described as a brutal act of domestic violence. The victim, identified as Malikiyat Bibi, a mother of seven, had visible signs of torture and her throat had been slit. PS Pirabad SHO said the primary suspect is the victim's husband, Shoaib, who allegedly attacked his wife while she was asleep. He reportedly struck her on the head with a brick and then used a sharp object to slit her throat. Shoaib fled the scene after the attack.
