Terrorist Groups Using Social Media to Target Youth, Says Talal Chaudhry

Islamabad: Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry has warned that terrorist organizations are actively using social media to recruit young people and spread propaganda. Speaking at a press conference, he said that the government is not targeting freedom of expression, but is working to stop the misuse of digital platforms for terrorism.

“Pakistan is a strong frontline state in the global fight against terrorism,” he said, adding that authorities have identified hundreds of social media accounts linked to terrorist groups.

He noted that international bodies have already recognized many of these threats. The United Nations has sanctioned groups like ISIS-K and TTP, while the United States and United Kingdom have declared BLA a terrorist organization. These groups — including TTP, ISIS-K, BLA, and BLF — are using digital platforms to spread their messages and influence the youth.

Chaudhry said that 2,417 complaints of terrorist content on social media are under review. He urged tech companies to use AI tools to detect and remove such content quickly.

Also speaking at the event, Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik said that spreading terrorist propaganda online is a crime under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). He stressed the need for global cooperation to fight digital terrorism.

Pakistan has formally invited international social media companies to open offices in the country and has called for automatic blocking of terrorist content, account shutdowns, and better access to user data.