Pakistan moves to block social media accounts of terrorist organizations

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to crack down on online presence of terrorist groups by blocking their social media accounts. This effort is being made in collaboration with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). The goal is to curb the spread of terrorist propaganda and prevent the misuse of social media platforms.

This decision was announced during a meeting of the National Action Plan Coordination Committee chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. The meeting emphasized effective coordination between the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Nacta) and provincial authorities to strengthen counter-terrorism measures. Naqvi underscored the importance of stopping online activities of proscribed organisations, directing all relevant departments, including PTA, to devise an effective mechanism to implement this strategy. “Provinces must adopt comprehensive strategies to prevent the misuse of unauthorised SIM cards,” said the federal minister. He also announced that a National Fusion Centre has been established to ensure seamless coordination across various agencies. Briefings revealed that intelligence-based operations conducted until October this year resulted in the elimination of 206 terrorists during 7,984 operations. Calling recent terrorist incidents in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa “deeply tragic and condemnable,” Naqvi vowed to enhance the capacity of law enforcement agencies and equip provincial police forces with modern technology. The interior minister further tasked the provinces and agencies to submit detailed reports on their resource requirements within seven days. Reiterating the pivotal role of Nacta, he stated that reforms were underway to restore the authority’s leading role in combating terrorism. It should be noted that the government has constituted a 10-member joint task force (JTF) to identify perpetrators of malicious propaganda against the state. The panel, formed with the approval of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, will identify individual groups and organisations involved in creating and spreading fake and misleading news. The JTF has been constituted consequent upon recent incidents of terrorism and vandalism and a massive malicious campaign to discredit the state in general and security forces in particular.