ISLAMABAD, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan on Thursday called on major social media companies to establish local offices in the country and strengthen compliance with national regulations, warning that platforms could face enforcement measures if they fail to cooperate, officials said at a press briefing.
Speaking to reporters at the Ministry of Interior, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry said companies including TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and X had not taken adequate steps to follow Pakistani laws despite a formal notice issued earlier this year.
Chaudhry said authorities were concerned about accounts involved in spreading extremist or violent content.
The minister said Pakistan expected platforms to apply the same automated systems they use to remove other categories of illegal content to also detect and delete terrorist material.
Minister of State for Law Barrister Aqeel Malik said Pakistan may consider measures to impose fines and temporarily restricted access to a platform for non-compliance. Pakistan could also take the matter to international legal forums if required, he added.
Officials said requiring platforms to establish local offices would improve coordination, speed up responses to government requests and support more effective handling of harmful online content.
The ministers said Pakistan is working to prevent digital spaces from being used to promote violence, noting that the misuse of social media by extremist groups poses a challenge not only to Pakistan but also to global security. ■