Pakistan has ramped up efforts to counter online extremism by urging social media companies to take stricter action against terrorist content, while calling on them to establish local offices in the country, senior officials said.
“We are building walls against terrorism, not silencing free speech,” said Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhary, during a press briefing outlining Pakistan’s new digital security push on Friday.
He said Pakistan remains a “global bulwark in the fight against terrorism” and has detected hundreds of terrorism-linked accounts on platforms like Facebook, YouTube and X (formerly Twitter).
According to the Ministry of Interior, groups such as Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP), Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), and Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) are actively using social media to spread propaganda and recruit youth.
The government said 2,417 complaints related to terror content are currently under review, and platforms must respond with urgency.
“Social media companies must use AI to swiftly remove terrorist content,” Chaudhary said.
Officials noted that the United Nations has banned ISKP and TTP, while the US and UK have designated BLA a terrorist organisation.
Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik said promoting terrorist ideology is “a punishable offence under PECA (Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act),” and warned that “offenders will face prosecution.”
Pakistan has asked social media platforms to block terrorist accounts, share IP data, and implement automated systems to detect and remove extremist content.
To facilitate cooperation, Islamabad invited foreign social media firms to establish offices in Pakistan and support efforts to counteract digital radicalisation.
“Pakistan urges international cooperation to counter digital terrorism threats,” Chaudhary said, adding that the country’s call aligns with global security efforts.
