A Pakistani court has slammed the brakes on a controversial move to silence critics of the government on YouTube, suspending an order that targeted more than two dozen content creators—including journalists and the digital presence of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The judicial order, issued earlier by a magistrate in Islamabad, had demanded a blanket ban on several YouTube channels flagged by Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency. The agency’s complaint? That these creators were posting what it called “highly intimidating, provocative and derogatory” material about the country’s institutions and officials.
Among those at risk of being digitally muzzled were prominent voices from Khan’s opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Alphabet-owned YouTube had reportedly notified 27 creators that unless they complied with the order, their platforms could be wiped out.
But that plan has now hit a wall.
An additional sessions judge—who ranks above magistrates and hears both civil and criminal appeals—stepped in to freeze the ruling. According to Imaan Mazari, a lawyer representing two of the affected YouTubers, the order was procedurally flawed and legally flimsy.
“It was a unilateral decision,” she argued, stressing that no opportunity had been given for the defence to present their side. She further questioned the magistrate court’s authority to rule on such a sweeping digital censorship matter.
The case is now scheduled for its next hearing on July 21.
Pakistan’s courts follow a tiered system: cases begin in magistrate or civil courts, then work their way up through sessions courts, high courts, and eventually the Supreme Court.
Digital rights advocates warn that the original ban attempt represents yet another strike against freedom of expression in a country where traditional media is increasingly shackled. With newspapers and TV channels often toeing the official line, social media remains a critical—but fragile—space for dissent.
