ISLAMABAD: A court in Islamabad has ordered YouTube to block 27 channels, including those of prominent journalists and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, following a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) inquiry into alleged anti-state content.
Judicial Magistrate Abbas Shah issued the two-page order on the FIA’s request, stating the court was satisfied with the evidence presented. The FIA began its investigation on June 2 into what it described as anti-state material being disseminated on these channels.
The court directed YouTube’s designated officer to block the channels named in the order. Among those targeted are journalists Matiullah Jan, Asad Toor, Siddique Jan, Orya Maqbool Jan, Habib Akram, Imran Riaz Khan, Sabir Shakir, Aftab Iqbal, Wajahat S. Khan, Moeed Pirzada, Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Haider Mehdi, Sabiha Kazmi, Arzoo Kazmi, and Sajid Gondal.
The order also includes blocking of the official PTI YouTube channel as well as channels run by Rana Nazir and others.
According to the judgment, the court found the FIA’s evidence sufficient to justify action against the channels for allegedly spreading anti-state material.
