Pakistan’s interior ministry recently revealed that it blocked access to a social media platform, referred to as X, around the time of February’s national election due to national security concerns.
Users in Pakistan had experienced difficulties using X, formerly known as Twitter, since mid-February, although the government had not officially announced the shutdown until now. The ministry mentioned the shutdown in a written submission to the Islamabad High Court, responding to a petitioner’s concerns about the ban.
According to Abdul Moiz Jafri, a petitioner and advocate, another court has instructed the government to reconsider the ban within a week. The interior ministry justified the ban by stating that X, formerly Twitter, had failed to comply with lawful directives from the Pakistani government and address concerns regarding the misuse of its platform.
The ministry emphasized that the decision to impose the ban was made to safeguard national security, maintain public order, and protect the nation’s integrity. Access to X has remained restricted since the national election on February 8, which has been contested by the party of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, alleging electoral misconduct.
Source: Reuters