Social media firms act on fewer than one in four PTA removal requests, Pakistan tells parliament
Social media companies acted on fewer than one in four content-removal requests from Pakistan’s telecom regulator, according to figures shared with the National Assembly. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi gave the numbers in a written parliamentary reply on 28 October, which was reported on 31 October. That leaves a wide gap between what Pakistan asks platforms to remove and what they take down.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) saw only 23.7 per cent of its requests met. Requests from provincial counter-terrorism departments did better, at 47.1 per cent, but still left more than half unanswered. By platform, Facebook complied with about 38 per cent of requests, X with 7.4 per cent, and YouTube with just 1.9 per cent. In plain terms, fewer than 24 in every 100 flagged items were removed or blocked.
The reply also showed where most of the requests came from. Punjab accounted for 97.7 per cent of the requests submitted by counter-terrorism departments, while Sindh and Balochistan recorded no compliance despite submitting requests. The written reply did not state the period covered or the total number of requests, so they describe the share answered, not the total scale.
Naqvi also pointed to gaps at home. The ministry said there was no organised, integrated system at federal and provincial level to deal with online threats, and a shortage of trained analysts and tools to monitor public online material. It also said low conviction rates in cybercrime and illegal SIM cases were holding back enforcement.
Why it matters
The numbers matter because removal requests are one of Pakistan’s main tools for tackling extremist and harmful material online. When most requests go unanswered, that material can stay up and keep reaching people. The reply also makes clear the problem is not only about the platforms: Pakistan’s own shortage of staff, tools and coordination limits what it can find and follow up.
What happens next
Naqvi called for the faster launch of the Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority, set up under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Amendment Act 2025, which would oversee platform registration and content regulation while the PTA keeps responsibility for blocking content. He also backed binding compliance arrangements with platforms, including penalties for non-compliance, plus automated monitoring, a shared intelligence store, regional forensic laboratories and more training for investigators.
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
Sources
- https://dig.watch/updates/pakistan-reports-low-social-media-compliance (Digwatch, 31 Oct 2026)
- https://www.techjuice.pk/punjab-leads-anti-state-requests-as-social-media-compliance-stays-low/ (TechJuice, 28 Oct 2026)
- https://techx.pk/social-media-compliance-pakistan-extremist-content-pta/ (TechX, 29 Oct 2026)
