ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry reacted to the decision by the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) to ban the popular short video sharing app TikTok.
He said that court’s decision is another one for which the people of Pakistan will have to pay a huge price. “Court Decision to ban TikTok is yet another Court Decision for which people of Pak will pay a huge price,” the minister wrote on his official Twitter handle.
“I understand most of the judges are unaware of the tech working models,” he said, requesting Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed to intervene in the matter. Fawad Chaudhry said that his ministry will work with the judiciary for “tech modules for Judges.”
Court Decision to ban TikTok is yet another Court Decision for which people of Pak will pay a huge price,I understand most of the judges are unaware of the tech working models, I ll request CJP to intervene and @MinistryofST ll work with Judiciary for tech modules for Judges
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) March 12, 2021
On Thursday, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) directed internet service providers to immediately block access to TikTok in compliance with the PHC order.
The PTA said in a statement: “In respectful compliance to the orders of the Peshawar High Court, PTA has issued directions to the service providers to immediately block access to the TikTok App. During the hearing of a case today, the PHC has ordered for the blocking of App.”
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) imposed a ban on TikTok for allegedly promoting indecent content. A court bench, headed by Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan, called for a ban to be imposed on the app from today.
“Videos being uploaded on TikTok are unacceptable to our society,” the chief justice remarked while hearing a petition seeking directives for the government to block unethical and immoral content on the application.
He said that TikTok videos are spreading vulgarity in society and ordered that this app be blocked immediately. On October 9 last, the PTA had placed a ban on TikTok in the country which was eventually lifted.
In respectful compliance to the orders of the Peshawar High Court, PTA has issued directions to the service providers to immediately block access to the TikTok App. During the hearing of a case today, the PHC has ordered for the blocking of App.
— PTA (@PTAofficialpk) March 11, 2021