Are Journalists Being Silenced in the Name of State Security?

News Desk

Islamabad: A lower court in Islamabad on Tuesday ordered the blocking of 27 YouTube channels, including those run by prominent journalists and political figures, amid an inquiry by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) into alleged anti-state content.

Judicial Magistrate Abbas Shah issued the written order on the FIA’s request, directing the YouTube officer in-charge to take immediate action to block the specified channels. The FIA had initiated the inquiry on June 2, citing the circulation of content it deemed harmful to national interests.

Among those named in the court’s order are well-known journalists Matiullah Jan, Siddique Jan, Sabir Shakir, Asad Toor, Orya Maqbool Jan, and Imran Riaz Khan. Channels affiliated with the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were also included, alongside others such as Abdul Qadir and investigative journalist Ahmad Noorani.

The court stated that the evidence submitted by the FIA was sufficient to warrant legal action under relevant laws and concluded that the request met the legal criteria for blocking the channels as part of the ongoing investigation.

The order comes amid rising concerns over digital content regulation and its implications for freedom of expression in Pakistan.