On July 11, an Islamabad sessions court suspended a judicial magistrate’s order that directed the blocking of 27 YouTube channels run by journalists and commentators, following revision petitions filed by two of the affected individuals.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka issued the suspension while hearing appeals filed by journalists Matiullah Jan and Asad Ali Toor, whose channels were among those blocked earlier this month.
“Hence, instant revision petition is admitted for regular hearing,” the court noted in its one-page order, adding that the petitioners were not served with prior notice, in violation of Article 10-A of the Constitution. The court also issued a notice to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), seeking a response by July 21.
The initial blocking order had been issued by Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Abbas Shah on a request from the NCCIA. The agency claimed that the targeted YouTube channels were involved in circulating “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,” the NCCIA stated in court.
Sub-Inspector Waseem Khan of NCCIA’s Cyber Crime Reporting Centre informed the court on June 24 that an investigation had been launched on June 2 with the approval of the competent authority.
The original order had directed Google LLC, the parent company of YouTube, to block the 27 identified channels for allegedly committing offences under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 and other penal provisions.
Confirming the court’s suspension of the ban, Asad Toor posted on X (formerly Twitter), calling the decision “a big victory” and lauding the efforts of the legal team.
Matiullah Jan also took to social media to announce, “As a result, a request is now being made to the YouTube administration to halt the process of closing these channels.”
The legal team representing the petitioners includes Riasat Ali Azad, Zainab Janjua, Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, Hadiali, Jamal, and Farrukh Jillani. Digital rights advocate Farieha Aziz is also part of the legal effort.
Speaking to Dawn.com, Imaan Mazari-Hazir clarified that the suspension order currently applies only to Jan and Toor. “The others can ideally get the same order if they apply for revisions,” she said.
“Our submission is that the order has no legal basis. It was a one-sided decision without giving [the] defence a chance to be heard,” she added, arguing that the magistrate’s court lacked jurisdiction in the matter.
The court-ordered ban has drawn criticism from rights groups and legal bodies, who say it undermines freedom of expression and bypasses due legal process.
