Asif Mahmood

The Government  has recently stepped up its efforts to tackle the problem of terrorist accounts on social media. In the past few weeks, hundreds of accounts linked to banned groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) have been reported and blocked on various platforms. These accounts had millions of followers and were spreading extremist content. The National Cyber Crime Investigative Agency (NCCIA) and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) have been actively involved in identifying and reporting these accounts to social media companies. So far, over 500 accounts have been taken down, while others are still under review.

This crackdown is part of a larger government plan that includes direct communication with major social media companies like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Telegram, and WhatsApp. Officials have been working closely with these platforms to speed up the removal of harmful content. In one notable case, the Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, held a video meeting with Telegram representatives. Despite Telegram being banned in Pakistan, the company showed strong cooperation. Additionally, government ministers have reached out to the media to emphasize the importance of using advanced technology, such as artificial intelligence, to detect and remove extremist posts quickly.

While some platforms like Facebook and TikTok have been very cooperative, responding to most requests, others such as X and WhatsApp have been slow to act. This has frustrated Pakistani authorities, who are demanding better and faster responses from these companies.

Authorities point out that although traditional media in Pakistan does not carry terrorist propaganda, social media has become a new battlefield. Terrorist groups are using these platforms to promote violence, recruit followers, spread fear, and share videos of attacks. A senior official said that while Pakistani forces fight terrorists on the ground every day, their ideology continues to spread unchecked online. He stressed that this situation is dangerous and cannot be allowed to continue.

Pakistan has made a clear appeal to all social media and messaging platforms to permanently remove accounts linked to terrorism, use strong technology to automatically detect harmful content, and work closely with Pakistani authorities for quick action. As a country that has suffered greatly in the fight against terrorism, Pakistan urges the international community and the countries where these companies are based to take their responsibilities seriously. They must cooperate under United Nations rules and bilateral agreements to stop terrorist groups from using the internet as a safe space.

Pakistan’s law enforcement, cybercrime agencies, and regulators remain committed to shutting down terrorist propaganda channels at home and abroad. They continue to monitor social media, quickly remove harmful content, and engage with technology companies to keep extremist material off the internet. A spokesperson from the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication said that fighting terrorism online is not only Pakistan’s challenge but a global responsibility. The world must come together to deny terrorists any platform, physical or digital, to spread their dangerous ideas.