The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued a public advisory urging social media users to immediately remove any illegal, hateful, defamatory or misleading content.
The regulator reminded the public that under Section 20 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, knowingly spreading false information that harms reputations or violates privacy is a criminal offence.
“Responsible digital conduct is a collective civic obligation,” the PTA said, advising users to refrain from creating, uploading or sharing material that undermines national integrity or damages the dignity of institutions and individuals.
The advisory follows recent rumours on January 15 about a nationwide internet disruption, which the PTA dismissed as baseless. The authority clarified that routine submarine cable maintenance was underway but services remained stable.
Internet slowdowns and disruptions have been a recurring issue in Pakistan, often linked to undersea cable work, spectrum shortages and security measures.
To address these challenges, the Economic Coordination Committee recently approved the auction of 600 MHz spectrum, a step expected to improve internet speeds and support the rollout of 5G services.
