A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Thursday overturned a magistrate’s order that had blocked 11 YouTube channels.
In June, Judicial Magistrate Abbas Shah directed authorities to shut down 27 prominent YouTube channels accused of spreading “anti-state” content. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) had requested the closure.
The district and sessions court has since been hearing appeals challenging the bans.
On Thursday, Judge Afzal Majoka announced the reserved verdict on appeals filed by 11 YouTubers. The court accepted their appeals, declaring the magistrate’s order null and void.
During the hearing, Judge Majoka criticized the NCCIA prosecutor, stating: “You have started taking over our work; I will never allow this.” He further asked under what authority the channels had been blocked and noted attempts were being made to discredit judges.
In the earlier ruling issued in June, the court had said: “In light of the facts and evidence presented by the enquiry officer, this court is convinced that the subject matter constitutes offences punishable under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act [Peca] and Penal Laws of Pakistan.” The court then allowed legal action based on the NCCIA’s evidence.
It is worth noting that the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Peca) Amendment Bill 2025 was signed into law in January, introducing new definitions, stricter penalties, and regulatory bodies to oversee online platforms and curb the spread of “false” information.
