Islamabad, May 19, 2025: In light of escalating diplomatic friction between Pakistan and India, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), along with the National Cyber Crimes Investigating Agency, has taken strict measures against several YouTube channels accused of inciting hostility and spreading anti-state narratives.
Among those targeted are prominent YouTubers such as Shehbaz Gill and Waqar Malik, whose content has been flagged for promoting rhetoric deemed harmful to national institutions.
On the other hand, journalists like Imran Riaz Khan, Sabir Shakir, Siddique Jan, and Ahmad Noorani continue to report within journalistic norms, with no reported restrictions on their work.
Officials emphasize that this crackdown aims to safeguard Pakistan’s cyber frontiers during a time of heightened national security concerns, especially as cross-border tensions fuel hostile propaganda.
PTA officials claim that banning YouTube channels critical of state institutions is necessary to safeguard the country’s cyber frontiers. However, some independent voices argue that such actions amount to censorship
