Islamabad court suspends YouTube ban on prominent journalists, critics
Islamabad Additional Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka suspended on Friday a local court's order banning 27 YouTube channels run by different prominent Pakistani journalists and content creators.
Ruling on a plea filed by the newly formed National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency, Islamabad Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Abbas Shah had ordered the ban based on alleged anti-state content, defamation and misinformation targeting judicial figures.
Asad Toor, whose account was among those blocked, took to X (formerly Twitter) to confirm the suspension of ban.
🚨🚨#BREAKING: In a big victory, Additional session judge Afzal Majoka “SUSPENDS” judicial magistrate Abbas Shah order to @YouTube ban youtube channels Asad Toor UNCENSORED and @Matiullahjan919 MJtv. We are honoured to represented by @riasataliazad24, @zainabjanjua1,… pic.twitter.com/NTWujjYRSz
The legal challenge against the ban is being led by lawyers, Riasat Ali Azad, Zainab Janjua, Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, advocates Hadiali, Jamal and Farrukh Jillani. Digital rights advocate Farieha Aziz is also part of the legal effort.
The NCCIA had launched an inquiry into the matter on June 2 with the approval of the competent authority.
Sub-Inspector Waseem Khan of the Cyber Crime Reporting Centre of NCCIA’s informed the local court on June 24 that the agency was investigating several YouTube channels involved in spreading "false, defamatory, and fake" content against state institutions and their officials.
"[This propaganda] is likely to cause fear, panic, disorder and unrest in the general public or society with defamatory and fake remarks. [This also] violates the privacy and harms the dignity of the officials of the state institutions," NCCIA contended.
Read: Court orders blocking 27 YouTube channels
In its order, the court noted that after examining the facts and evidence presented by the NCCIA inquiry officer, it was convinced that the channels were committing offences under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), 2016 and penal laws in the country.
"The head/office in-charge of the Security Department/Custodian of Records to Google LLC, D/A/B YouTube 901 Cherry Avenue, San Bruno, CA 94066 USA is therefore directed to block/remove the said YouTube channel," the order noted.
Increasing scrutiny
The order was the latest in a series of laws and regulations from Islamabad that have enabled the authorities to crack down on critics and dissidents. It has blocked social media platforms like X, Facebook and TikTok on several occasions in the past.
In January, the parliament introduced a new amendment to PECA to further regulate cyber content, which included a new social media regulatory authority with its own investigation agency and tribunals.
Such tribunals will be able to try and punish alleged offenders with prison sentences of as long as three years and fines of two million rupees ($7,200) for dissemination of information deemed "false or fake".
Similar laws to order the removal of disputed content have also been introduced in neighbouring India, which has had disagreements with X and Google over such directives. In recent years, India has banned dozens of YouTube channels citing national security.
Digital rights activist Usama Khilji said the Pakistani court did not fulfil due process.
"What is jarring is the complete lack of legal process," he said.
Toor said neither the court nor the cyber crime agency gave him a chance to respond to the allegations, and that he would be taking legal action against the court order.
"It is a dictatorial move. It can't silence me," he said.