Pakistan: Islamabad Court suspends ban on five more YouTube channels

Islamabad [Pakistan], July 13 (ANI): Islamabad District and Sessions Court has granted temporary relief to five more content creators, after a lower court had ordered the blocking of 27 YouTube channels, as reported by the Dawn. It follows a similar suspension granted on Friday to two journalists.
Last month, the Islamabad lower court had instructed YouTube to block the accounts for allegedly spreading "fake, misleading, and defamatory" content targeting the government and military. The affected channels were run by journalists, commentators, and influencers, both from Pakistan and abroad.
On Friday, journalists Matiullah Jan and Asad Ali Toor challenged the ban in court. Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Muhammad Afzal Majoka admitted their petitions and suspended the ban, issuing brief written orders for both cases, the Dawn reported.
On Saturday, six more individuals filed appeals. The court granted interim relief to five of them -- Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Orya Maqbool Jan, Abdul Qadir, Uzair Anwar, and Umair Rafique -- while adjourning proceedings on Habib Akram's case until July 14 due to his absence, as reported by the Dawn.
According to the court's short orders, the petitioners argued that they had not received any prior notice before the blocking decision was made, which they claimed violated Article 10-A of the Pakistani Constitution -- the right to a fair trial. The judge acknowledged this issue, stating it required further legal review.
As per Dawn, the blocking order has drawn strong criticism from legal experts and digital rights groups. On Wednesday, Pakistan's Minister of State for Interior, Talal Chaudhry, warned that the affected content creators could face criminal charges.
The Forum for Digital Rights and Democracy (FDRD) and the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) both denounced the move, labelling it a "blatant violation" of constitutional rights and a direct attack on press freedom.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) also condemned the blanket ban, arguing that it equated dissent with criminality. They emphasised that the focus should be on targeting specific instances of unlawful speech through proper legal procedures, rather than silencing entire platforms, the Dawn reported.
HRCP stressed that the right to free expression is essential for individual freedom, democratic accountability, and access to diverse viewpoints. It called for "precise and proportionate" actions to combat hate speech, rather than sweeping bans. (ANI)