District and Sessions Court of Islamabad on Thursday canceled a judicial magistrate’s order that had corrected the closure of several YouTube channels that gave advantage of 11 content creators who challenged the move.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal Majoka set aside the lower court’s decision while hearing appeals filed by 11 YouTubers, including journalists Matiullah Jan, Asad Toor and Abdul Qadir.
The case came from a previous order of a legal magistrate conducting the blockage of 27 YouTube channels. Of these, 11 content creators approached Sessions Court and argued that the decision was illegal. Their appeals were heard collectively.
ALSO READ: Iman Mazari, CJ Dogar Exchange Heated Words In IHC
During the case, Judge Majoka expressed dissatisfaction with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) prosecutor and observed that the agency seemed to change its responsibility against the court. He warned that such practice would not be allowed, questioning the authority under which online platforms could be blocked and warned against attempts to malignant judges.
The court clarified that petitions would only be heard if applicants or their lawyer were present, while cases without representation would be rejected for non-stage.
After reserving his decision, the court later announced the verdict in favor of YouTubers and declared that the Magistrate’s order is canceled in the scope of the 11 appeals considered. The order restores access to the YouTube channels for those who challenged the directive.
After reserving the verdict, the court gave the right to the benefit of YouTubers and declared the Magistrate’s order empty in relation to the appeals considered. This restored access to the channels for these 11 content creators.
In June, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) launched a probe in 27 YouTube channels accused of spreading false and inflammatory content against state institutions.
The study found the material provocative and able to encourage public turmoil. When he was about NCCIA’s petition under the Act on the Prevention of Electronic Crimes, the legal magistrate of ABBAS SHAH ordered the blocking of the channels and instructed Google to remove them.
The forbidden channels included those attached to PTI and well -known journalists such as Moeed Pirzada, Asad Ali Toor, Ahmed Noorani, Matiullah Jan, Imran Riaz Khan, Sabir Shakir and Aftab Iqbal.
