Islamabad court halts banning of 5 additional YouTube channels, suspending a lower court’s order to block 27 total accounts. This is a day after the same court granted similar relief to two journalists.
Last Tuesday, a court in Islamabad ordered YouTube to prohibit 27 channels. The order referred to the proliferation of fake, misleading, and defamatory information against the government and armed forces. Journalists, influencers in Pakistan as well as overseas, and political analysts, according to reports, ran these channels.
On Friday, the court accepted revision petitions by journalists Matiullah Jan and Asad Ali Toor. Their appeals led to the suspension of the ban by the Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ), Muhammad Afzal Majoka. The court issued a 1-page written suspension order for each petition.
Court Grants Relief to 5 Additional Channels
Six other people opposed the block order on Saturday. ADSJ Majoka listened to the case and provided relief to five petitioners: Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Orya Maqbool Jan, Abdul Qadir, Uzair Anwar, and Umair Rafique.
Habib Akram was absent and the hearing of his petition was adjourned to July 14. Petitioners claimed that they did not receive any prior notice, according to short orders read by Dawn.com. They argued that the ban was against Article 10-A of the Constitution. The judge concurred, stating that the lack of prior notice was a matter that should be considered in the law.
The initial ban decree has attracted a lot of criticism by legal and digital rights organizations. It is said to be a violation of the constitutional right to freedom of expression.
On Wednesday, Talal Chaudhry, Minister of State for Interior, announced that the proprietors of the shut channels will face criminal charges.
The Forum for Digital Rights & Democracy (FDRD) and the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) both opposed the move. They termed it as a blatant violation of rights and an assault on press freedom.
Rights Groups Condemn the Ban
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed concern. They condemned the total prohibition of full channels instead of focusing on particular cases of unlawful speech. HRCP cautioned against the mixing of dissent and criminality.
They emphasized that freedom of expression is a must. It guarantees personal freedom, state responsibility, freedom of discussion, and exposure to diverse opinions. HRCP called on targeted and proportionate response to hate speech rather than blanket censorship.
On March 20, this year, authorities nabbed Farhan Mallick in Karachi. He is the owner of media agency Raftar and a former news director of Samaa TV. Authorities charged him with posting anti-state information in violation of PECA and the Pakistan Penal Code.
His detention aroused the indignation of journalists and human rights activists. In April, the court granted Mallick bail in allegations involving anti-state statements and data theft via contact centre.
In May, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority removed the ban on X (previously Twitter). The caretaker administration shut down the site in February 2024, just after the general elections.
