Judge suspends order to block YouTube channels

ISLAMABAD: Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Muhammad Afzal Majuka has suspended the order to block two YouTube channels in an appeal against another court order to block 27 YouTube channels.

On the appeals of two journalists on Friday, the defence lawyers took the position that the orders to block the YouTube channels were issued without completing the procedural process.

It should be noted that Judicial Magistrate Abbas Shah had ordered the blocking of 27 YouTube channels on the request of National Cybercrime Investigation Agency (NCIA).

The court suspended the magistrate’s order to block the YouTube channels and issued a notice to the NCIA for July 21 and sought a response. In the one-page order issued in both cases, the court said that the petitioners pleaded they were not even given notices, so the requirements of Article 10-A regarding a transparent trial were not met. The magistrate ordered not to block the channels without hearing the petitioners.