ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to satisfy it regarding the ban on video-sharing app Tiktok, set up mechanisms and consult the federal government.
The remarks were made by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah while hearing a citizen’s petition against the ban on the social media platform. The IHC also issued a notice to the Ministry of Information and Technology secretary and sought its response.
“The PTA should never have banned Tiktok without consulting the federal government,” it observed, also asking the PTA, “What authority do you have to completely ban the app?”
Justice Minallah asked the PTA counsel to provide a reason for banning TikTok. “If banning TikTok is the only solution, then Google should also be banned. This is the 21st century and people’s livelihoods are attached to social media applications,” he remarked.
The PTA lawyer responded that the Peshawar and Sindh High Courts had issued orders to ban the app and formulate a mechanism to stop inappropriate content from circulating on the app.
At this, the chief justice asked the counsel to read out the orders of the high courts. He then pointed out that neither court had ordered that the app be completely banned in the country.
“Such videos are circulated on YouTube as well. Will you shut down YouTube too?” Justice Minallah asked. He said PTA should instead guide people not to watch inappropriate content.
Justice MinaAllah said that the PTA had “misused the orders” from both courts and demanded to know if the actual orders, which pertained to developing a mechanism, had even be followed. “You were asked to develop a mechanism. Did you make one?” he asked.
The PTA lawyer said that the authority has not permanently banned Tiktok. “We have simply asked that the company work with us to develop a mechanism,” he said, adding that the PTA will develop a mechanism for all apps in time.
Meanwhile, the lawyer for the complainant requested the court that the press release under which PTA had announced the suspension of the app be rendered ineffective. The hearing was adjourned till August 23.
