Talal Chaudhry says Telegram’s reaction to Pakistan’s complaint is good, but X gave the weakest response
The federal government has once again asked major social media platforms including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and X to establish local offices and ensure full compliance with Pakistani laws or face prosecution.
The warning was issued during a briefing at the Ministry of Interior, where Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry and Minister of State for Law, Barrister Aqeel Malik, addressed representatives of local and international media.
Talal Chaudhry said that despite a formal notice issued on July 24, 2025, social media companies have not taken sufficient steps to comply with Pakistani regulations. He criticized the platforms for failing to take action against violent anti-Pakistan posts while quickly removing child exploitation and anti-Israel content.
Several accounts spreading terrorism and hatred are operated from India and Afghanistan, and extremist groups continue to exploit these platforms to spread propaganda, Chaudhry said.
The minister revealed that 19 terror-related accounts from India and 28 from Afghanistan have been identified. He said banned organizations such as TTP, BLA and BLF, also designated as terrorist groups by the United Nations, are actively spreading violent content.
Chaudhry said Telegram showed good cooperation over Pakistan’s complaints, while X gave the weakest response. He explained that if these platforms can automatically remove child pornography, why can’t they use the same technology to automatically remove terrorist content?
Lawyer Aqeel Malik said social media companies apply double standards in Pakistan, noting that Palestine-related content is removed within 24 hours while Pakistan’s requests are neglected.
He added that if these platforms do not cooperate, Pakistan could consider adopting measures similar to those in Brazil, where authorities imposed fines and temporarily blocked X for non-compliance. He added that Pakistan could also take the matter to an international court if necessary.
The ministers stressed that terrorists targeting Pakistan also pose a threat to the West. Pakistan, they said, is fighting terrorism not only for its own security but also for global security, and the international community should support the country in this fight.
