Justice Athar Minallah expresses anger over TikTok ban, asks PTA for justification

Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Athar Minallah expressed anger over the fourth ban on video-sharing app TikTok by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and has asked the authority for justification regarding the ban.

Chief Justice IHC was hearing a citizen’s petition against ban. During the hearing, CJ IHC remarked: “Why has TikTok been banned? If banning TikTok is the only solution, then Google should also be banned.”

The PTA lawyer said that the ban was imposed under PECA in light of the orders of the Sindh and Peshawar High Courts. Chief Justice IHC Athar Minallah directed the PTA counsel to read out both the judgements and remarked that neither of the courts had asked for a complete closure of TikTok, but had rather asked to create a mechanism.

ٹک ٹاک پر پابندی کے خلاف کیس میں چیف جسٹس اطہر من اللہ نے کہا ٹک ٹاک بند کرنا ہی واحد راستہ ہے تو پھر گوگل بھی بند کر دیں 21 ویں صدی ہے لوگوں کا ذریعہ معاش ان ایپس سے جوڑا ہے ایسی ویڈیوز کے بعد کیا یوٹیوب بھی بند کر دیں گے؟ تو پھر سوشل میڈیا پر باقی ایپس کیوں بند نہیں کیں؟ 1/3

— Saqib Bashir (@saqibbashir156) August 6, 2021

TikTok was banned for the fourth time in Pakistan on July 21, 2021 for its failure to take down “inappropriate content”. Days before the ban, President Arif Alvi had joined TikTok to “spread the message of positivity & motivation for the youth of Pakistan“.

For this first time, Pakistan blocked the video-sharing app on October 9, 2020. However, the ban was lifted after the TikTok management assured the Pakistani authorities that it will block all accounts repeatedly involved in spreading obscenity and immorality