In the interest of national security, social media X was banned in Pakistan during the national elections last February. Both the government and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority denied allegations of banning X during the election.
In a written statement filed in court on Wednesday, the Home Ministry acknowledged the ban on X.
“We are forced to ban X for not complying with the directives of the Government of Pakistan and not taking measures to prevent misuse of the platform,” the statement said. We have banned X in the interest of maintaining national security, public order, and unity of the state.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Major General (retd) Hafizur Rehman said that the decision to block social media platform ‘X’ is entirely up to the central government.
Speaking informally to reporters, he said that ‘X’ will be reopened if the government gives instructions. There are many complaints about the platform in Pakistan and its case is currently being heard in the Sindh High Court.
Expressing concern over internet shutdowns, the PTA chairman said that there were 116 internet shutdowns in India in 2023, while only seven incidents occurred in Pakistan. He stressed that PTA does not support internet shutdown, but national security is a priority issue.
The chairman also mentioned that mobile services were suspended in some areas during Ashura on 10th of Muharram. Internet services were also temporarily suspended in certain areas at certain times.
Comparing with Bangladesh, he said, Bangladesh also suspended mobile services during elections. Each country has its own unique security challenges and decisions are made based on intelligence reports.
He also said that mobile data services are currently suspended in Panjgur due to security concerns.
Source: Sama TV
