An Islamabad court has temporarily halted an earlier decision that instructed YouTube to block certain Pakistani channels. These channels were mainly run by well-known journalists and media personalities. The court’s new order suspends the ban on two specific channels, Toor and Matiullah Jan, but it’s still unclear what will happen with the other 25 channels.
The decision was made by Additional Sessions Judge Afzal Majoka, which overrules the previous order from Judicial Magistrate Abbas Shah. That original order had come after a request from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which had claimed the channels were spreading “anti-state” content and threatening national security.
Some of the prominent names affected by the ban included Asad Toor, Matiullah Jan, Imran Riaz, Moeed Pirzada, Sabir Shakir, and Aftab Iqbal. The FIA had called for the block after investigating the content of these channels, alleging that it posed a threat to Pakistan’s national interests.
The FIA (Federal Investigation Agency) started an investigation on June 2, presenting what they said was credible evidence that certain channels were promoting anti-state rhetoric. Based on this evidence, the court accepted the FIA’s claims and allowed them to block the channels, stating that the content was damaging to the country’s national interest.
A Win for Press Freedom
Today’s decision is a win for press freedom and digital rights, at least for now. Asad Ali Toor, one of the journalists behind the petition, shared the news on X (formerly Twitter), calling the court’s ruling a “big victory.” He also mentioned that both his channel, Asad Toor UNCENSORED, and Matiullah Jan’s MJtv would remain accessible for the time being.
Toor expressed his gratitude towards his legal team, which included Riasat Ali Azad, Zainab Janjua, Imaan Z. Hazir, Hadia Ali, and digital rights advocate Farieha Aziz for their support and representation.
While the suspension is a positive sign for free speech advocates, it’s still uncertain whether the FIA will appeal the decision or pursue further actions under cybercrime laws.
The minister also revealed that the government is in discussions with the IMF to provide 5,000–6,000MW of surplus electricity at a marginal cost to high-demand industries like data centers and crypto mining operations.
In a separate update, Leghari mentioned that the federal government has officially informed the provinces that power distribution companies (Discos) will no longer collect electricity duty on their behalf. So far, only one province has responded. Once the others reply, the issue will be brought to the cabinet for a final decision.
The minister also noted a decrease in losses from poor billing and technical inefficiencies at Discos, with losses dropping from Rs. 591 billion in FY24 to Rs. 399 billion in FY25.