Islamabad: Finally, Pakistan’s interior ministry has confirmed ban on social media platform Twitter, now X. The neighbouring country on Wednesday confirmed shutdown of Elon Musk-owned platform.
Social media users in Pakistan have been facing difficulties in accessing the popular social media platform since mid-February when former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan was jailed and gave call for nationwide protests against alleged rigging in general elections.
Pakistan’s interior ministry mentioned the shutdown in a written court submission on Wednesday.
“It is very pertinent to mention here that the failure of Twitter/X to adhere to the lawful directives of the government of Pakistan and address concerns regarding the misuse of its platform necessitated the imposition of a ban,” news agency quoted the report as saying.
The Pakistani ministry accused the social media company of showing reluctance to cooperate with authorities in addressing “critical” issues.
“The decision to ban Twitter/X in Pakistan was taken to safeguard national security, maintain public order, and uphold the integrity of our nation,” the report stated.
The Sindh High Court criticized the suspension of X and instructed the government to restore the platform within one week.
During the hearing of multiple petitions regarding the social media platform’s suspension, Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi of the SHC questioned the Interior Ministry, stating, “What are you achieving by shutting down trivial things… The world must laugh at us,” according to Geo News.
Following a senior government official’s public admission of vote manipulation in the February 8 polls, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) called for protests, sparking outrage. Reports indicated widespread disruptions in accessing X in Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi.Mobile internet services were suspended nationwide on polling day due to security concerns.
