On July 25, the federal government urged global social media platforms to take immediate action against accounts operated by banned terrorist groups, citing their active use of digital channels to spread extremist propaganda.
Addressing a joint press conference, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry and Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik highlighted growing concerns over the misuse of platforms including X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram by proscribed outfits.
Chaudhry said groups outlawed by Pakistan as well as those banned by the United Nations, United States, and United Kingdom were using these platforms to promote their narratives. “I want to request social media operators and platforms to cooperate with us on the blockage and removal of accounts, taking measures to stop mirror accounts and to share information of account holders who are operating these accounts,” he stated.
He noted that the National Action Plan (NAP), adopted in 2014, mandates strict measures against individuals and organisations using media, including social media, for extremist purposes. It also includes a ban on the glorification of terrorism and outlines mechanisms to counter digital abuse by terrorist networks.
Referring to remarks made earlier in the week, Chaudhry pointed to a terrorist group using WhatsApp channels to “disseminate hateful content and harmful narratives.” He called on the global community and tech companies to help Pakistan counter this evolving threat.
The interior minister recommended deploying artificial intelligence to auto-detect and disable such accounts and their duplicates. He urged platforms to establish mechanisms for timely sharing of user data with authorities.
Speaking alongside him, Barrister Aqeel Malik disclosed that officials had identified 481 social media accounts linked to proscribed organisations and reported them to the relevant platforms. “We seek coordination between social media platforms and our law enforcement agencies on social issues and the presence of terrorist organisations on social media,” he said.
Malik encouraged tech companies to set up local offices in Pakistan to strengthen cooperation with law enforcement. He stressed the need for swift and proactive collaboration in identifying and neutralising online threats posed by extremist entities.
He identified several banned groups—Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF)—as maintaining a significant online presence. “These social accounts significantly enhance their social media presence, whether it through their real names of pseudonyms. It poses a threat to our nation, citizens and the rest of the world,” Malik said.
He reiterated that Pakistan had sacrificed greatly in the war against terrorism and now faces new digital challenges. Both ministers reaffirmed the government’s commitment to combat extremism on all fronts, including the online space.
