TikTok ban in Pakistan, Fawad Chaudhry criticizes ‘judicial activism’

ISLAMABAD: (Monitoring Desk) Pakistan will never be able to recover from its economic crises unless judicial reforms are implemented, said Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Wednesday. The minister was replying to a judgement given by the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday, which ordering TikTok ban in Pakistan until July 8, nearly three months after the country removed a ban on the app.

If Pakistan does not implement judicial reforms, Chaudhry warned of dire consequences. If judicial changes are not implemented, Pakistan will never emerge from its economic catastrophe, he tweeted.

I’m confused after reviewing yesterday’s decisions on TikTok ban in Pakistan and the NBP president’s removal, and I can’t help but wonder: “What are our courts doing?” enquired the minister of information.

According to Chaudhry, Pakistan has already suffered billion-dollar damages as a result of court activism. The minister has previously criticised the court’s decisions, particularly those relating to digital apps in Pakistan. In February, the minister claimed that in the past, judicial activism has hampered Pakistan’s technical advancement.

Chaudhry had bemoaned at the International Press Briefing in February that Pakistan’s relationships with digital media firms had deteriorated as a result of various court decisions made in 2014. Last year, he expressed remorse for the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s decision to restrict TikTok.

He had said, I request judges not to hear matters involving digital media. Pakistan would never be able to attract foreign investment if its policies do not change, according to the minister. He had previously stated that political and economic independence moulds an individual’s life.