Hareem Shah urges PM Imran Khan to lift 'baseless' TikTok ban

KARACHI: TikTok star Hareem Shah on Saturday called on Prime Minister Imran Khan to lift the ban on the video-sharing app, terming it a "baseless" decision.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) blocked TikTok on Friday after the company "failed to fully comply" with its instructions for “development of an effective mechanism for proactive moderation of unlawful online content”.

The PTA said the step was taken after the authority said it received several complaints from different segments of society against "immoral and indecent" content on the video-sharing application.

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Addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, Shah said: "No solid reason has been provided for the ban on the app."

The TikTok star said that if vulgarity is a concern it can only be stopped "by imposing Islamic laws".

"TikTok administration removes such [vulgar and inappropriate] content itself," she said, adding that there was no need to place a ban on the app.

Shah highlighted that several people got a chance to groom themselves on the platform and that new talent had emerged from TikTok.

Read more: Pakistan's top TikToker Jannat Mirza calls for removal of PTA ban

Several other TikTokers have expressed similar concerns with some claiming that it was "shutting down the creative freedom of artists".

Meanwhile, highlighting the fact that the application was a source of income for many, Pakistan’s biggest TikTok star, Jannat Mirza, a day earlier, had also called for the removal of the ban.

"In general, it was a good app. It was accessible for everyone. So much talent emerged through this app," she emphasised.

She conceded that it may have been used for “notorious and hate activities”, "but it [TikTok] must continue, with strict rules and conditions".