The Islamabad Sessions Court has suspended a judicial order that directed the blocking of 27 YouTube channels and ordered the restoration of two channels operated by journalists Asad Toor and Matiullah Jan.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka issued the ruling while hearing a petition challenging an earlier order by Judicial Magistrate Abbas Shah, who had approved the closure of the channels.
The move to block the channels was initiated by the Cyber Crime Circle of the National Counter Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), which had requested the action, alleging the accounts were spreading “false, misleading, and fake information against state institutions and officials.”
The NCCIA’s request followed a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) inquiry conducted on June 2, with the Judicial Magistrate’s blocking order subsequently issued on June 24.
The list of accounts identified by NCCIA includes the YouTube channel of the opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), as well as renowned journalists such as Habib Akram, Ahmad Noorani, Sabir Shakir, and Moeed Pirzada, among others. The YouTube account of incarcerated former premier and founder of PTI, Imran Khan, is also in the list submitted by the NCCIA.
The suspension orders issued today have unblocked two channels run by YouTuber-journalists Matiullah Jan and Asad Toor. The case continues in the District and Sessions Courts, with further proceedings expected.
The petition was filed against the broader order to block multiple channels. The court has yet to decide on the remaining 25 channels.
