Govt to block terrorist groups' social media accounts

• Comprehensive measures to curb terrorist social media activities.
• Provinces instructed to control unauthorised SIM cards.
• Police, Frontier Constabulary to be strengthened nationwide.

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to block the social media accounts of terrorist groups in collaboration with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

This decision was announced during a meeting of the National Action Plan Coordination Committee chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

The meeting emphasised effective coordination between the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Nacta) and provincial authorities to strengthen counter-terrorism measures.

Naqvi, the security czar, underscored the importance of halting online activities of proscribed organisations, directing all relevant departments, including PTA, to devise an effective mechanism to implement this strategy.

"Provinces must adopt comprehensive strategies to prevent the misuse of unauthorised SIM cards," said the federal minister.

The security czar also announced that a National Fusion Centre has been established to ensure seamless coordination across various agencies. Briefings revealed that intelligence-based operations conducted until October this year resulted in the elimination of 206 terrorists during 7,984 operations.

Calling recent terrorist incidents in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa "deeply tragic and condemnable," Naqvi vowed to enhance the capacity of law enforcement agencies and equip provincial police forces with modern technology.

The interior minister further tasked the provinces and agencies to submit detailed reports on their resource requirements within seven days. Reiterating the pivotal role of Nacta, he stated that reforms were underway to restore the authority’s leading role in combating terrorism.

It should be noted that the government has constituted a 10-member joint task force (JTF) to identify perpetrators of malicious propaganda against the state.

The panel, formed with the approval of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, will identify individual groups and organisations involved in creating and spreading fake and misleading news.

The JTF has been constituted consequent upon recent incidents of terrorism and vandalism and a massive malicious campaign to discredit the state in general and security forces in particular.

FIA cybercrime wing's crackdown

Meanwhile, the FIA Cybercrime Wing Balochistan Zone has launched vigorous operations against elements involved in anti-state propaganda on social media.

A specialised team has been formed to monitor and analyze social media accounts for suspicious activities. This team utilises advanced technology to keep track of activities on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and other platforms that may be involved in anti-state propaganda.

Over the past three months, the FIA Cybercrime Wing Balochistan has identified 924 social media accounts involved in sharing anti-state content on Instagram, X, TikTok, and others.

The reported accounts include 487 on Facebook, 190 on TikTok, 147 on X, 88 on Instagram, and 12 on other applications.

Additionally, 14 inquiries have been registered, and investigations have begun against the anti-state elements.

Out of 924 accounts, 312 social media accounts have been marked as blocked by the PTA, whereas 607 social media accounts are in the process of blocking by the PTA.

Besides, the FIA Cybercrime Wing, Balochistan has reported a total of 28 different social media applications that have a high potential for facilitating anonymous communication and misuse by anti-state elements.

— Additional input from APP