The government on Friday called on global social media organisations to immediately block the accounts of proscribed terrorist groups disseminating propaganda on their platforms.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry had earlier highlighted how a terrorist group was using WhatsApp channels to “disseminate hateful content and harmful narratives”, urging the platform and the global community to help Pakistan combat terrorism.
Addressing a joint press conference today in Islamabad alongside Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik, Chaudhry urged the social media firms to set up their offices in Pakistan to ensure better coordination with the authorities in taking action against terrorist outfits.
Chaudhry said terrorist groups and individuals — including those banned in the US, the UK and sanctioned by the United Nations — are operating accounts on social media platforms such as X, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
He said the National Action Plan (NAP) — formed in 2014 to take action against terrorists through a concerted national effort — requires taking action against those spreading propaganda on media and social media.
The agenda items of NAP include a ban on glorification of terrorists and terrorist organisations through print and electronic media, and measures against abuse of internet and social media for terrorism.
He requested social media firms to block these groups; use artificial intelligence (AI) to prevent “mirror accounts”; and share information about their operators. He urged creating auto-detect and auto-block algorithms against such accounts.
Minister of State for Law and Justice Malik said authorities have unearthed 481 accounts associated with proscribed terrorist groups on various platforms and reported them to social media organisations.
He urged social media firms to share information about account holders to “amplify counterterrorism operations in dealing with this newer threat.”
He also requested them to implement strict measures which include AI methods to discover more accounts. He invited them to establish their presence in the country and sought enhanced cooperation in the digital world.
Malik said Pakistan is at the forefront and has rendered sacrifices in the war against terrorism, but a new trend has surfaced on social media apps such as X, Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram.
“We will welcome social media platforms to set up offices in Pakistan for better coordination,” he said. “We seek coordination between social media platforms and our law enforcement agencies on social issues and the presence of terrorist organisations on social media.”
He said terror groups such as the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Islamic State Khorasan Province, Balochistan Liberation Army and Balochistan Liberation Front have an active presence on social media platforms, noting they have been banned the US and the UK as well.
“Pakistan remains steadfast and is committed to our resolve to combating terrorism. Apart from operating on the ground, we have seen new trends in the digital realm,” he said.
He said the state minister for interior has also highlighted how terrorist groups are “working on social media, recruiting and actively disseminating propaganda” through WhatsApp and other platforms.
“These social accounts significantly enhance their social media presence, whether it through their real names of pseudonyms. It poses a threat to our nation, citizens and the rest of the world.”