KARACHI: The government has requested social media companies to block 481 accounts it claimed were associated with terrorist groups, Dawn.com reported.

While addressing a joint press conference with Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry on Friday, Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Ageel Malik said the government identified and reported at least 481 accounts associated with proscribed terrorist groups on various platforms.

Mr Malik requested social media firms to share information about users operating these accounts to help the government deal with this `newer threat.

Mr Chaudhry, the minister of state for interior, said social media companies should `cooperate with us` to block and remove accounts.

He also demanded information about users operating these accounts, and also mirror accounts, who share the content posted on primary accounts.

Terrorist groups and individuals, including those banned in the US, the UK and sanctioned by the United Nations, were operating accounts on social media platforms such as X, Facebook and WhatsApp, Mr Chaudhry said at a press conference. He said the National Action Plan (NAP) required taking action against those spreading propaganda on media and social media.

He requested social media firms to block accounts operated by terror outfits, use artificial intelligence to prevent mirror accounts. There should be an `auto-detect` and `auto-block` mechanism to block such accounts, he suggested. He urged social media firms to share information about account holders to `amplify counterterrorism operations in dealing with this newer threat`.

While inviting social media platforms to set up offices in Pakistan, Barrister Malik requested the social media companies to streamline efforts against threats in the digital world. `We seek coordination between social media platforms and our law enforcement agencies on social issues and the presence of terrorist organisations on social media.

He pointed towards `new trends` in the digital realm where terror groups such as the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, Islamic State Khorasan Province, Balochistan Liberation Army and Balochistan Liberation Front had an active presence on social media platforms.

These groups are using these platforms for recruitment and `actively disseminating propaganda` through WhatsApp and other platforms.

While some of these accounts were being operated under the organisation`s name, a lot of them were using pseudonyms to expand the social media presence of these groups, Mr Malik said.