Blasphemous content on TikTok has caught the attention of the Peshawar High Court (PHC). The court has directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to remove objectionable material from the platform. A two-member bench, comprising Justice SM Attique Shah and Justice Shakeel Ahmad, addressed a petition calling for TikTok’s ban. The court instructed the PTA to address the concerns raised in the petition.
Petitioner Imran Khan, represented by Barrister Babar Shehzad, urged the court to direct the PTA, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and Ministry of Information to prohibit TikTok nationwide. He highlighted the dissemination of sacrilegious and inappropriate content on TikTok. He argued that such applications, which allow the sharing of immoral content, harm social cohesion. Barrister Babar noted TikTok’s extensive user base in Pakistan and its misuse for content against Islamic teachings and constitutional principles. He reminded the court that PHC had previously ordered a TikTok ban in 2021.
Justice Shakeel Ahmad emphasized the need to prevent the spread of objectionable content. He reaffirmed the court’s stance against blasphemous material on TikTok. Representing PTA, Jahanzeb Mahmud assured the court that telecom operators promptly remove blasphemous posts. However, Justice SM Attique Shah questioned the effectiveness of these measures. He inquired about the absence of content filtering mechanisms in Pakistan. He suggested exploring the feasibility of implementing a firewall to automatically block objectionable videos.
The court instructed the PTA to promptly remove all blasphemous content from TikTok and submit a report within seven days. The case will be reviewed again on July 24.
