Event Summary
In early July 2025, a judicial magistrate in Islamabad ordered YouTube to block 27 Pakistani channels, including those run by journalists, political commentators, and opposition supporters. The order was based on a June 2 report by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), which accused these channels of spreading “anti-state” and misleading content. The directive included prominent names such as Asad Ali Toor, Matiullah Jan, and supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. Following this, YouTube sent warnings to the affected content creators, stating that their channels could be blocked in Pakistan if they did not comply with local laws.
However, this move sparked a significant backlash from journalists, civil society, and digital rights advocates who viewed it as a violation of freedom of speech and a dangerous overreach of judicial power. Critics, including the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), warned that such blanket bans without due process could set a precedent for widespread censorship. They emphasized that targeting entire channels instead of individual posts infringes upon democratic norms and the constitutional right to free expression, especially at a time when other media avenues are already restricted.
Responding to the backlash, an Islamabad Additional District and Sessions Court suspended the ban on 11 July 2025, for some of the petitioners, including Toor and Jan. The court noted that the original order lacked proper jurisdiction and had procedural flaws. Within a few days, the suspension was extended to five more YouTubers, with more hearings scheduled for July 21. The court’s intervention has temporarily halted the blocking of the channels, but the broader legal and political debate over digital censorship in Pakistan remains unresolved.