Talal Chaudhry says Telegram’s response 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 set up local offices and ensure full compliance with Pakistani laws or face action.
The warning was issued during a briefing at the Ministry of Interior, where Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry and State Attorney General Aqeel Malik addressed local and international media representatives.
Talal Chaudhry said that despite a formal notice issued on July 24, 2025, social media companies have not taken adequate steps to follow Pakistan’s rules. He criticized platforms for failing to act against violent anti-Pakistani posts, while quickly deleting material about child exploitation and anti-Israel content.
Several accounts that spread 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 originating from India and 28 from Afghanistan have been identified. He said that banned organizations like TTP, BLA and BLF, which are also designated as terrorist groups by the UN, are actively spreading violent content.
Chaudhry stated that Telegram has shown good cooperation on Pakistan’s complaints, while X has given the weakest response. He said that if these platforms can automatically delete child pornography, why can’t they use the same technology to automatically delete terrorist content.
Barrister Aqeel Malik said social media companies are applying double standards to Pakistan, noting that content related to Palestine is removed within 24 hours while requests from Pakistan are neglected.
He said if these platforms do not cooperate, Pakistan may consider adopting measures similar to Brazil, where authorities imposed fines and temporarily blocked X for non-compliance. He added that Pakistan could also take the issue to an international court if necessary.
The ministers stressed that terrorists targeting Pakistan ultimately 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.
