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The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has blocked more than 1.54 million URLs linked to prohibited and unlawful content on social media platforms, according to official documents. The documents show that 1,065,671 URLs related to immoral content have been blocked. Another 563 URLs in the same category are under review, while 9,528 have been rejected. In the terrorism-related category, 179,285 URLs were referred for blocking, of which 141,897 URLs have been blocked. A further 23,241 URLs are currently under review. The documents also reveal that 136,891 URLs related to content deemed against the sanctity of Islam were processed by the authority. Similarly, 125,427 URLs concerning content considered against Pakistan’s security and defence were processed. Of these, 74,059 URLs were blocked. The PTA also processed 76,526 URLs under the category of sectarian and hate speech. In the proxy category, the authority processed 10,319 URLs, blocking 10,318 of them. Under the defamation and impersonation category, 44,200 URLs were processed, while 17,356 URLs were blocked. According to the documents, a total of 1,542,800 URLs across various categories have been blocked. Meanwhile, 76,874 URLs remain under review, while 106,629 URLs have been rejected. The figures reflect the PTA’s ongoing efforts to monitor and restrict online content that falls under Pakistan’s prohibited-content regulations.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has sought responses from the federal government and the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports over the reported non-renewal of the passport of Arshad Khan, popularly known as “Arshad Chaiwala.” Justice Umair Majid Malik heard the petition filed by Arshad Khan, with Barrister Umar Ejaz Gilani representing him in court. The petitioner’s counsel told the court that Arshad Khan is an entrepreneur who has promoted Pakistani culture internationally. According to the counsel, the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) verification board has already cleared Arshad Khan’s identity. His Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) is also active. The court was informed that Arshad had applied for renewal of his passport on August 20, 2025. However, despite the passage of nearly a year, the renewed document had allegedly not been issued. The lawyer said Arshad had repeatedly contacted the office of the interior secretary to resolve the matter but had not received a satisfactory response. He also informed the court that a legal notice had been served on the interior secretary. Despite the notice, no response was reportedly received. Arshad has asked the high court to direct the authorities to issue his renewed passport without further delay. His petition also seeks a declaration that the continued failure to issue the passport is unlawful and violates his fundamental rights. During the hearing, Justice Umair Majid Malik observed that the court would first obtain the position of the relevant government authorities before examining the matter further. The IHC subsequently issued notices to the Director General Immigration and Passports and the federal government through the interior secretary.

Karachi Police Chief Azad Khan has claimed that incidents of robbery and murder have declined across the city, saying the rate of vehicle and motorcycle snatching has fallen by 25%. Speaking during a visit to the Site Association of Industry office, Azad Khan said the latest results were encouraging. However, he added that the police wanted to achieve further improvements in the city’s security situation. The Karachi police chief said authorities were also taking cases of extortion seriously. He said he was personally monitoring such cases and assured the business community that no leniency would be shown towards extortionists and their associates. Azad Khan said many extortionists were still operating from outside the city. He claimed that police had information about them and their networks. He said their associates were allegedly intimidating citizens and businesspeople. Police would take action against anyone found involved in threatening or extorting residents, he added. The police chief stressed that peace in Karachi had been restored after considerable efforts. He said maintaining the city’s security was now a major responsibility. Azad Khan also linked security with Karachi’s economic stability. He said the city’s economic security was extremely important because a weak economy could lead to higher unemployment and crime. He said Karachi’s business community had an important role in the city’s economy. Ensuring a secure environment for businesses was therefore necessary for continued economic activity and investment. The Karachi police chief also spoke about his personal connection with the city. He said he had grown up in Karachi and felt that the city had a debt that needed to be repaid through public service. He acknowledged that the Sindh Police faced several challenges. However, he said efforts were continuing to improve law and order and provide better services to residents. Azad Khan also highlighted the increasing use of technology in policing. He said authorities had not waited for the completion of the Safe City project to introduce the e-challan system. The police would continue moving forward with technology rather than returning to traditional methods. He said the department was also exploring the use of artificial intelligence-based traffic signals. However, such systems required significant investment. The police chief said the authorities were making every effort to provide better public services. He also announced that a major plan was being prepared to tackle encroachments across Karachi. He said the removal of illegal encroachments would be addressed through a broader strategy. The police leadership’s comments come as Karachi continues to face challenges related to street crime, traffic management, extortion and urban development.

The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) Punjab has launched a major crackdown against networks allegedly involved in online financial fraud, identity theft and social media scams, arresting 14 suspects in Lahore and Multan. The operation was carried out under the direction and supervision of NCCIA Punjab Director Muhammad Ali Waseem. Officials said the suspects allegedly defrauded citizens of millions of rupees through various online schemes. In Lahore, the NCCIA arrested four suspects in three separate cases. They were identified as Muhammad Amir, Muhammad Ashfaq, Muhammad Qamar and Ameer Karim. According to initial investigations, the suspects allegedly posed as marriage bureau representatives or close friends to gain victims’ trust. They then allegedly deceived citizens into transferring money. Investigators recovered mobile phones from the suspects and found evidence indicating that victims had been defrauded of significant amounts. In Multan, the NCCIA carried out three separate operations and arrested 10 suspects. They were identified as Muhammad Asghar, Amir Shehzad, Muhammad Kamran, Rizwan Talib, Saqib Ali, Kamran Talib, Iftikhar Manzoor, Muhammad Adnan, Muhammad Sultan and Muhammad Naeem. Investigators said the suspects allegedly used social media platforms and WhatsApp to impersonate officials from customs, police, banks and other government institutions. The suspects allegedly contacted citizens using false claims involving prizes, gifts, donations, bank verification and parcel clearance. They then demanded money from victims under various pretexts. Investigators uncovered one case in which a victim was allegedly defrauded of Rs1 million, while another involved the alleged theft of Rs588,000. The NCCIA said several mobile phones, SIM cards, fake WhatsApp accounts, social media profiles and other digital evidence were recovered during the operations. The seized devices and accounts are being subjected to forensic analysis. Cases have been registered against all 14 suspects under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, as amended in 2025, along with applicable sections of the Pakistan Penal Code.