Islamabad:
A local court in Islamabad ordered 27 channels accused of “disseminating false and misleading information against state institutions,” he said in an order on Tuesday.
Judicial magistrate Abbas Shah issued a two -page written order on a petition presented by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). The court considered that the agency’s evidence are satisfactory and ruled that the matter deserved legal actions under existing laws.
The Nccia launched an investigation on the matter on June 2 with the approval of the competent authority.
Subinspector Waseem Khan, from the Cyber Crime Crime Report Center, informed the court on June 24 that the agency was investigating several YouTube channels involved in the propagation of “false, defamatory and false” content against state institutions and their officials.
He told the court that the content that circulated was “probably causing fear, panic, disorder or disturbances in society” and included “highly intimidating, provocative and derogatory comments.” In addition, he claimed that the channels aimed to cause public staff and the armed forces and create “bad will between the pillars of the State.”
The investigation revealed that 27 channels were involved in the public dissemination of said material.
Subsequently, the agency sought permission to block these YouTube channels under Section 37 of the Electronic Crime Prevention Law, requesting that a legal order to Google LLC, the Matrix of YouTube, for its elimination and blockade, be issued.
After reviewing the application and accompanying evidence, the Court concluded that it was convinced of the facts presented and the evidence presented by the investigation officer constituted “punishable crimes” under the law of prevention of electronic crimes and criminal laws of Pakistan.
The written order also ordered the officer in charge of YouTube to block/eliminate the identified channels.
The channels blocked by the court are affiliated with Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI), as well as those directed by journalists Moeed Pirzada, Asad Ali Toor, Ahmed Noorani, Matiullah Jan, Imran Riaz Khan, know Shakir and Aftab Iqbal.
