Pakistan continues to rank highest globally for searches related to explicit content, although it no longer leads in actual consumption, according to Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Dr. Muqarram Ali. Speaking at a cybersecurity seminar at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), he said sustained enforcement actions, including the blocking of indecent websites, have significantly reduced viewership levels in the country.
Dr. Ali stated that the PTA has blocked approximately 1.3 million websites containing immoral or unethical material as part of its online child protection and cybersecurity efforts. He emphasized that the authority does not proactively shut down platforms on its own and only acts on formal government directives and legal instructions.
He also highlighted operational challenges faced by the regulator, including receiving conflicting court orders—one directing a platform to be blocked while another ordering it to remain accessible. In such cases, he said, the PTA is required to follow established legal and administrative procedures.
Addressing the temporary blocking of Wikipedia, Dr. Ali noted that the decision prompted international reaction and led to the formation of an inter-ministerial committee to review the matter. He reiterated that similar directives had been issued during previous governments as well.
On cybersecurity, Dr. Ali said Pakistan now ranks among leading countries in cyber preparedness and claimed that during the May Pak-India conflict, no Pakistani websites were taken offline. He also clarified that the PTA does not collect mobile-related taxes, stating that taxation falls under the jurisdiction of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
