Social Media Ignores Pakistan Requests to Remove Online Content

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has disclosed that social media companies only complied with a limited number of requests from Pakistani authorities to remove extremist content. According to a written reply to the National Assembly, platforms responded to just 23.7 percent of requests from the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and 47.1 percent of Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) submissions.

Platform-specific compliance rates revealed X adhered to only 7.4 percent, YouTube complied with 1.9 percent, and Facebook responded to 38 percent of the requests. These statistics were provided in answer to questions concerning counterterrorism initiatives and the elimination of extremist content on social media platforms. The minister further informed the assembly that 5,143 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) were carried out nationwide from January 1 to September 29, 2026, leading to the deaths of 2,410 terrorists, 806 injuries, and the arrest of 3,518 suspects.

Naqvi emphasized that counterterrorism operations are being conducted under the National Action Plan.