A local court in Islamabad has directed YouTube to block 27 channels accused of spreading anti-state content, following a request filed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), according to ARY News.
The ruling came from Judicial Magistrate Abbas Shah, who issued a two-page written order after reviewing evidence and hearing from the investigating officer. The inquiry was initiated on June 2, with the FIA alleging that the content posed a threat to national security.
The court stated that the material appeared to violate provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), indicating that the activity could be criminal in nature.
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Based on this assessment, the court instructed YouTube’s administration to promptly block the listed channels, naming them in the official directive.
This decision follows earlier action in May 2025 by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), which blocked 16 YouTube news channels, 31 video links, and 32 websites for allegedly spreading misleading and harmful narratives against the state.
PTA said the steps were taken to safeguard Pakistan’s digital environment and national unity, noting that the content in question aimed to influence public opinion and disrupt social harmony.