The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has categorically refuted a purported notification circulating on various social media platforms that instructed local social media group administrators to remove all foreign members.
The PTA has labeled the document as “entirely false” and “fake.”
The viral notification, which carried the PTA’s logo, claimed that:
جعلی نوٹیفکیشن کی وضاحت
اسلام آباد، (2 دسمبر 2025): سوشل میڈیا پر ایک جعلی نوٹیفکیشن میں دعویٰ کیا جا رہا ہے کہ پی ٹی اے نے مبینہ طور پر سوشل میڈیا گروپس کے منتظمین کو غیر ملکی ممبرز کو ہٹانے کی ہدایات جاری کی ہیں۔ یہ اطلاع درست نہیں ہے۔
واضح رہے کہ پی ٹی اے نے ایسی کوئی… pic.twitter.com/yL0nxZsvhb
— PTA (@PTAofficialpk) December 2, 2025
It was issued due to the “current national security situation and online user data protection.”
It directed all social media groups managed from within Pakistan to “remove foreign members.”
It warned that group admins failing to comply with these directives would face legal action.
PTA’s Official Clarification
In an official statement released on Tuesday, the PTA strongly denied issuing any such command:
“A fake notification circulating on social media, claiming that PTA has instructed social media group administrators to remove foreign members, is entirely false.”
The authority further emphasized, “PTA has issued no such directive. The public is advised to refrain from sharing unverified information and to rely solely on PTA’s official channels for authentic updates.”
The incident highlights the ongoing challenge of misinformation and fake news spreading on digital platforms, often using official-looking logos and language to create confusion and panic among the public.
