Senate committee orders PTA to block Rizwan Razi's YouTube channel over hate speech

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 15 September 2025 |  JP Staff Report

The Senate's Standing Committee directed the PTA to block Rizwan Razi's YouTube channel due to hate speech. Razi's offensive remarks about Sindhis sparked significant backlash.

Summary

ISLAMABAD — The Senate’s Standing Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges on Monday directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to block the YouTube channel of vlogger Rizwan Razi, popularly known as Razi Dada.

The committee’s meeting, chaired by Senator Syed Waqar Mehdi, took up the agenda item titled: “Discussion on V-log on national electronic media consisting of hate speech, breakage of federalism, hurting emotions of parliamentarians, and affecting the functions of parliament from Mr. Rizwan Razi while criticizing the whole Sindhi Nation.”

During the session, lawmakers expressed serious concern over Razi’s recent vlog in which he made highly derogatory remarks about Sindhis, referring to them as the “offspring of monkeys.” The video, published on his YouTube channel Razi Nama, which has more than 289,000 subscribers, quickly went viral on X (formerly Twitter), sparking outrage.

Pakistan Television (PTV) had already terminated Razi’s services for the offensive remarks. Although the vlogger later issued an apology, the committee found his language deeply objectionable. It directed the PTA to block his channel to curb the spread of hate speech and safeguard national unity.

Journalist Rizwan Ghilzai, who reported on the committee’s decision, confirmed that members emphasized the responsibility of media and digital platforms to avoid content that could inflame ethnic tensions or undermine federalism.