Bogus document warns Pakistanis to remove foreigners from online groups

"The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has issued a letter. WhatsApp group admins should immediately remove foreign members," reads an Urdu-language X post shared on December 1, 2025.

The purported letter, which carries the PTA's logo, is attached to the post. It asks Pakistani administrators of WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook groups to review if they have any foreign members.

It says: "All admins are directed that they should check for the presence of foreigners in their groups. If they find any, they should remove them immediately. Compliance is essential to protect private data and keep information secure."

Violators could be slapped with fines or jail terms, it adds.

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Screenshot of the false X post captured on December 19, 2025, with a red X added by AFP

The same purported PTA notice also surfaced on Facebook and Instagram.

Pakistan criminalised online disinformation In January, passing legislation dictating punishments of up to three years in jail and prompting journalist protests accusing the government of quashing dissent (archived link).

The law required social media platforms to register with a newly established regulatory body, with non-compliance potentially leading to temporary or permanent bans.

But no directive ordering administrators of social media groups to purge foreign members was posted on the PTA website (archived link). 

The agency also refuted the claim on its X account on December 2 (archived link).

"A fake notification circulating on social media, claiming that PTA has instructed social media group administrators to remove foreign members, is entirely false," says the X post, which shows the purported document superimposed with a "fake" label.

"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."

Moreover, an analysis of the circulating image shows it does not match the format of genuine statements from the PTA (archived link).

The genuine PTA statements include a green border at the top and bottom that incorporate the agency's logo and website address, as well as a PTA watermark in the middle of the document.

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Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared notice (L) and a genuine press release from the PTA posted on X

AFP has previously debunked similar posts spreading information they falsely claimed were from the Pakistani government.