On July 8, 2025, an Islamabad court ordered the blocking of 27 YouTube channels accused of spreading anti-state content. This action followed a petition by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
Judicial Magistrate Abbas Shah issued a two-page order directing YouTube to block 27 channels after reviewing evidence provided by the FIA from an inquiry conducted on June 2, as reported by Pakistan Observer. The court determined that the content from these channels violated the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), making it a punishable offence, according to Minute Mirror.
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Received this from @YouTube. State think they can silent us but I assure everybody that I will keep covering Balochs, Missing persons, Blasphemy gang victims, minorities, fundamental rights, compromised judges, rigged elections, hybrid regime & unconditional role of forces. pic.twitter.com/yim0m5MfDH
— Asad Ali Toor (@AsadAToor) July 8, 2025The FIA, which is authorised to take action against anti-state propaganda, presented evidence of harmful narratives. As a result, YouTube took immediate action and complied with the court’s order.
The ban follows the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA) May 2025 blocking of 16 Indian YouTube channels and 32 websites for anti-Pakistan propaganda, per PTA, amid regional tensions post the Pahalgam attack. The PTA cited national security, noting content aimed to undermine unity. The Islamabad ruling targets channels like those of Matiullah Jan and Asad Toor.
Court orders YouTube to block 27 channels in Pakistan belonging to known fake news peddlers and propagandists, including Imran Riaz Khan, Sabir Shakir, Moeed Pirzada, Siddique Jan, Matiullah Jan, Asad Ali Toor, Haider Mehdi, Imran Khan, PTI, and more. pic.twitter.com/W7Q67afbHH
— Wajahat Kazmi (@KazmiWajahat) July 8, 2025The court’s decision, based on the evidence, aligns with PECA’s broad powers, although previous judicial pushback, such as the 2022 Islamabad High Court ruling against PECA amendments, reveals tensions.
