Key Points
- Ministers condemn the misuse of social media platforms used for hate campaigns.
- Pakistan calls for cooperation through data sharing, AI-powered detection tools, and prevention of mirror accounts.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan appealed on Friday to global social media platforms to swiftly block and dismantle accounts run by proscribed terrorist outfits that continue to spread extremist propaganda online.
At a joint press conference held in Islamabad, Federal Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry and Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik painted a bleak picture of how digital platforms—including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram—are being exploited by banned militant groups to radicalise, recruit, and incite violence.
“These groups are banned not just in Pakistan, but also in the US, UK, and under UN sanctions,” Chaudhry stressed. “Yet, they remain active online, poisoning digital spaces with hatred and misinformation.”
Citing recent findings, Chaudhry revealed how terrorist factions have been misusing WhatsApp channels to circulate “hateful content and harmful narratives,” calling on the global tech community to help Pakistan combat digital terrorism.
The ministers disclosed that authorities had unearthed 481 accounts linked to outlawed groups, and have already reported to social media firms for urgent action. However, they warned that this was just the tip of the iceberg.
“We urge these companies to go beyond reporting,” said Barrister Malik. “We want real cooperation—share account holder information, prevent the creation of mirror accounts, and deploy AI-based tools for auto-detecting and auto-blocking malicious content.”
The appeal echoes key directives under Pakistan’s National Action Plan (NAP), launched in 2014, which mandates action against all forms of terrorist propaganda—including in digital and print media.
Malik also extended an open invitation for social media giants to establish offices in Pakistan, emphasising the need for direct collaboration with local law-enforcement agencies to counter this growing cyber threat. “Pakistan has paid a high price in the war against terror,” he said. “And now the battlefield has shifted to the digital realm.”
The ministers highlighted the online presence of notorious groups such as the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF)—all of which are banned internationally yet remain active across multiple social media channels.
“These aren’t just accounts,” said Chaudhry. “They are weapons—digital tools of terror that threaten not only Pakistan, but global peace.”
As Pakistan tightens its grip on digital extremism, it calls for a stronger, more transparent partnership from Silicon Valley and global tech firms—one that matches the urgency of this evolving digital threat.
