Pakistan has increased efforts to counteract online extremism by urging international social networks to take stronger measures against terrorist content, while inviting them to establish local offices in the country, senior officials said on Friday.
“We are building walls against terrorism, not silencing freedom of expression,” said Interior Minister Talal Chaudhary, during a press conference that describes the new impulse of Pakistan digital security.
He said that Pakistan remains a “global bulwark in the fight against terrorism” and has detected hundreds of accounts linked to terrorism on platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and X (previously Twitter).
According to the Ministry of Interior, groups such as Tehrik-I-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Islamic province of the State-Korasano (ISKP), the Baloch Liberation Army (Bla) and the Liberation Front of Baloch (BLF) are actively using social networks to spread propaganda and recruit youth.
The Government said that 2,417 complaints related to terrorist content are currently reviewed, and platforms must urgently respond.
“Social network companies should use AI to quickly eliminate terrorist content,” Chaudhary said.
The authorities indicated that the United Nations have banned ISKP and TTP, while the United States and the United Kingdom have designated Bla a terrorist organization, adding weight to Pakistan’s demands.
The law’s lawyer, Aqeel, said that promoting terrorist ideology is “a punishable crime under a sin (Electronic Crime Prevention Law)”, and warned that “criminals will face prosecution.”
The Government has asked global platforms to block terrorist accounts, share IP data and user metadata with the authorities and develop and implement automatic detection and blocking algorithms.
To facilitate cooperation, Islamabad invited foreign social media companies to establish offices in Pakistan and support efforts to counteract digital radicalization.
“Pakistan urges international cooperation to counteract threats of digital terrorism,” said Chaudhary, adding that the country’s call is aligned with global security efforts.
