Islamabad, July 25, 2025: Pakistan has identified at least 481 social media accounts operated by banned terrorist organisations and called on global technology companies to take immediate action against these online networks.
The appeal was made during a joint press conference held in Islamabad on Friday by Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry and Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik.
Speaking at the briefing, Talal Chaudhry said the flagged accounts were being run using anonymous identities and unverified credentials, and are believed to be affiliated with proscribed groups. While the exact origin of the accounts remains unclear, he stressed that they pose a serious threat to public safety and international peace.
“These accounts are operated by terrorist groups, many of which are banned under UN, US, UK, and Pakistani sanctions,” he said, adding that the government is actively seeking cooperation from global platform operators to dismantle these digital networks. “Pakistan continues to serve as a frontline state in the global fight against terrorism — a wall between terror and the world,” he emphasized.
Chaudhry outlined three key demands for social media platforms:
- Immediate removal and permanent blocking of all identified accounts;
- Deployment of AI tools to prevent the re-creation of mirror accounts that often emerge within minutes of being removed;
- Sharing of user data associated with such accounts, describing them as active enablers of terrorism.
He also invoked Pakistan’s National Action Plan, which mandates action against those promoting terrorism through any media — including digital platforms — and called for a unified global response to online radicalization disguised as freedom of speech.
Minister Aqeel Malik reinforced the concerns, noting that many of the groups operating these accounts are designated as terrorist entities by the United Nations. “These organisations not only threaten Pakistan’s internal security but also endanger regional and global peace,” he said.
Malik underscored the devastating toll terrorism has taken on Pakistan — over 90,000 lives lost, with significant economic and social repercussions. He warned that extremist groups have now moved their operations to widely used digital platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram.
“These platforms are not just passive hosts; they’ve become active battlegrounds for terrorist recruitment and propaganda,” Malik said. He stressed the need for platform accountability and transparency, and welcomed the prospect of social media companies establishing local offices in Pakistan to improve coordination and enforcement.
The ministers further noted that terrorist groups are increasingly exploiting encrypted messaging services for coordination and recruitment. They called on tech firms to build stronger systems for identifying, disabling, and reporting such accounts in line with global counterterrorism norms.
Malik concluded by stating that Pakistan’s cyber monitoring efforts are ongoing, and that more accounts linked to terrorist organisations are being tracked. He urged international platform operators to act swiftly and decisively in support of global security efforts.
