ISLAMABAD: In an attempt to combat disinformation in the wake of hostilities with India, Pakistan on Wednesday blocked over a dozen Indian YouTube channels, 31 video links, and 32 websites for disseminating “false information and anti-Pakistan propaganda”.
“This action has been taken in light of the prevailing regional situation to safeguard national security and protect Pakistan’s digital ecosystem,” the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority said, adding that the content it blocked was spreading misleading and harmful narratives aimed at manipulating public perception and undermining national unity.
On the other hand, IT minister Shaza Fatima said that the government foiled several cyberattacks, which she blamed on India, while an advisory by a cybersecurity body asked citizens to remain vigilant against possible cyberattacks in light of tensions with India.
Amid all this, the social media platform X, which was blocked in Feb last year, came back to life without any official word from the government, according to NetBlocks, a UK-based global internet monitor. NetBlocks said the platform was restricted by authorities in February 2024 after it was used to draw attention to instances of alleged election fraud.
Social media platform X (formerly Twitter) makes a comeback; CERT urges internet users to remain vigilant
According to IT Minister Shaza Fatima, all relevant institutions, including the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and technical wings of the IT ministry, were active and had successfully thwarted recent Indian cyberattacks. She added that not a single cyberattack from India had been allowed to succeed, and Pakistan remained vigilant to prevent any such attempts in the future.
‘Be vigilant’
In its statement, the Cyber Emergency Response Team (CERT) asked the public to be wary of potential cyberattacks and keep monitoring the trusted cybersecurity entities for advisories and threat alerts. “We are doing our best to counter the situation and protect our systems,” CERT said, asking the citizens to avoid clicking suspicious links, unverified messages, emails, or social media links, and use trusted sources for updates.
Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2025
