Pakistan News
Local Concerns Leading To Twitter Ban In Pakistan, IHC Notified
The Ministry of Interior has filed a report in the Islamabad High Court against Pakistan’s social networking site X ban. A hearing was held in the Islamabad High Court regarding the petition against the Twitter ban in Pakistan.
Twitter Ban In Pakistan
The Ministry of Interior, while submitting the report in court, requested the rejection of the petition, stating that it had not infringed any rights of the petitioner. The report asserted the need to adhere to the government of Pakistan’s instructions regarding the misuse of the platform by X. Hence, it was necessary to impose restrictions and ban Twitter in Pakistan.
Reason for Banning the X Social Media Platform
The petition against the shutdown of X is contrary to law and facts. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing had requested restrictions on accounts propagating against the Chief Justice. As per the report, the authorities of X ignored the request of the FIA Cyber Crime Wing and did not respond. Non-cooperation from the authorities of X is justification for regulatory actions against the platform, including temporary shutdown.
Twitter And Law & Order Concerns
Twitter is registered in Pakistan and is not a signatory to agreements safeguarding Pakistani laws. Besides a temporary shutdown, the government has no other recourse against X. The Ministry of Interior further stated in their report that they issued directives for the shutdown of X on February 17, 2024, at the request of intelligence agencies, to maintain national security and law and order.
Some nefarious elements are utilizing X to undermine peace and stability by extensively using social media platforms for the transmission of extremist ideologies and false information. The report also mentioned that the purpose of the shutdown of X is not to curb freedom of expression or access to information but to ensure responsible use of social media platforms according to the law.
The Ministry of Interior is responsible for protecting citizens and national security. Earlier, the government had also imposed restrictions on the social media platform TikTok. After signing agreements safeguarding Pakistani laws, restrictions on TikTok were lifted. According to the report, the shutdown of X is not against Article 19 of the Constitution. Due to security reasons, various countries worldwide impose restrictions on social media platforms.
