ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) will cooperate with the federal government to block social media accounts of terrorist organizations.
This decision was taken on Tuesday in Islamabad by the National Action Plan Coordination Committee under the chairmanship of Federal Minister of Interior and Anti-Narcotics Mohsin Naqvi.
The forum called for effective coordination between the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (NECTA) and provincial authorities to strengthen counter-terrorism measures.
Naqvi, the security czar, stressed the importance of curbing the online activities of banned outfits, directing all relevant departments, including the PTA, to devise an effective mechanism to implement the strategy.
“Provinces should adopt a comprehensive strategy to prevent misuse of unauthorized SIM cards,” the federal minister said.
The security czar also announced that a National Fusion Center has been set up to ensure coordination between various agencies. The briefing said that till October this year, 206 terrorists were killed during 7,984 operations as a result of intelligence-based operations.
Terming the recent incidents of terrorism in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as “extremely sad and condemnable”, Naqvi vowed to enhance the capacity of law enforcement agencies and equip the provincial police forces with modern technology.
The Home Minister tasked more provinces and agencies to submit detailed reports on their resource requirements within seven days. Reiterating Necta’s vital role, he said reforms were underway to restore the authority’s vital role in combating terrorism.
It may be noted that the government has constituted a 10-member Joint Task Force (JTF) to identify those who spread malicious propaganda against the state.
The panel, set up with the approval of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, will identify individual groups and organizations involved in creating and spreading fake and misleading news.
The JTF was formed in the wake of recent incidents of terrorism and vandalism and a massive malicious campaign to defame the state in general and the security forces in particular.
FIA Cyber Crime Wing crackdown
Meanwhile, FIA Cyber Crime Wing Balochistan Zone has started strong operations against elements involved in anti-state propaganda on social media.
A special team has been formed to monitor and analyze social media accounts for suspicious activities. The team uses advanced technology to monitor activities on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok and other platforms that may be involved in anti-state propaganda.
During the last three months, FIA Cyber Crime Wing Balochistan has identified 924 social media accounts involved in sharing anti-state content on Instagram, X, Tik Tok 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 against anti-state elements.
Out of 924 accounts, 312 social media accounts have been blocked by PTA while 607 social media accounts are in the process of being blocked by PTA.
In addition, the FIA Cyber Crime Wing, Balochistan has reported a total of 28 different social media applications that have a high potential to facilitate anonymous communication and misuse by anti-state elements.