An Islamabad court has ordered the blocking of 27 YouTube channels accused of spreading anti-state content and false information. The ruling, issued on Tuesday, came after the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) requested the court’s intervention. The channels were allegedly involved in disseminating misleading content that could potentially stir unrest and harm the reputation of state institutions.
NCCIA’s Investigation and Request for Action
The NCCIA, tasked with combating cybercrime in Pakistan, began an inquiry on June 24, under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016. Sub-Inspector Waseem Khan presented evidence to the court, claiming the channels had propagated fake and defamatory content about state institutions and officials, leading to public disorder and damaging their dignity.
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— Asad Ali Toor (@AsadAToor) July 8, 2025
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
Among the targeted channels are those linked to the PTI, and several journalists, including Matiuallah Jan, Wajahat Khan, Ahmad Noorani, Asad Ali Toor, and former anchors like Imran Riaz, Orya Maqbool, Sabir Shakir, and Moeed Pirzada. According to the NCCIA, the content from these channels was highly provocative and aimed at inciting hostility against the state and its officials.
Court Ruling and Google’s Compliance
Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Abbas Shah, after reviewing the inquiry, was convinced that the actions of the channels violated Pakistan’s cyber laws. As a result, he ordered the head of security at Google to block or remove the 27 channels.
YouTube channel owner Asad Ali Toor confirmed that he had received a notice from YouTube regarding the legal request to remove his channel. The notice warned that failure to comply with the court order could result in automatic action, in accordance with local law obligations.
