• FDRD and SBCA decry the court order as an attack on press freedom; say magistrate exceeded his legal jurisdiction
• Call on government to immediately reverse the ban

ISLAMABAD: The Forum for Di­­gital Rights and Democracy (FDRD) and the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Wed­n­esday condemned Islamabad cou­rt’s recent order of blocking 27 YouTube channels, calling it a “bla­­tant violation” of fundamental rig­hts and an assault on press freedom.

“This act of censorship, under the allegations of false and misleading content is a dangerous escalation in the ongoing assault on press freedom and the right to dissent in the country,” the FDRD said in a statement.

The FDRD said the takedowns were an attempt to silence critical voices and were being carried out without due process.

The digital rights and legal bodies reacted after the Pakistani government asked YouTube to block access to 27 channels run mostly by veteran journalists, political commentators and independent media analysts.

“The FDRD stands in solidarity with these individuals who have built their platforms following growing restrictions on press freedom and have used digital spaces to report on critical national issues, including government accountability and human rights concerns,” the group said.

The statement argued the censorship violates both national and international laws.

“Such censorship is not just in direct violation of Article 19 of Pa­­kistan’s Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and the press, but also Pakistan’s obligations under international hum­an rights treaties including the Inter­national Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR),” it said.

The group’s convener, Muham­mad Aftab Alam, criticised the process as one-sided and lacking transparency, insisting that YouTubers must be given a fair trial in accordance with Article 10-A of the Constitution.

He added that a magistrate-level court lacks the authority to make such a ruling.

Mr Alam described the bans as part of a “broader pattern of digital repression” that includes internet shutdowns and the use of sweeping cybercrime laws to intimidate reporters.

The forum has called upon the government of Pakistan to immediately reverse the decision of banning these YouTube channels.

“We also call on civil society, media houses, international human rights bodies, and platforms like YouTube to push back against these undemocratic practices and defend the digital rights of Pakistan’s citizens,” it stated.

Separately, the SCBA called the order a clear breach of constitutional rights.

SCBA President Mian Muham­mad Rauf said the order was a “blatant violation of fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 10-A (due process), read with Articles 19 (freedom of speech and expression) and 19-A (right to information) of the Constitution.”

The SCBA statement criticised the magistrate for exceeding jurisdiction and for basing the decision solely on evidence from the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) without giving the channel owners a chance to be heard.

“Such denial of audi alteram partem is a grave breach of due process,” it said.

While defending press freedom, the SCBA also noted the responsibilities that come with it.

“No one should exploit social media platforms to spread falsehoods that harm national interests or undermine the self-respect, dignity and integrity of institutions as well as the indi-viduals,” the statement said, adding that freedom of expression has its limits.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2025