IHC Informed: X Banned Due To Unresolved Concerns

The Ministry of Interior has submitted a report to the Islamabad High Court, advocating for the dismissal of a petition against the closure of the social networking site X (Twitter) in Pakistan. The report was presented during a court hearing concerning the platform’s shutdown. The Ministry argued that the petition lacks legal and factual grounds since the petitioner’s rights were not violated.

The Ministry’s report outlined that the government had issued directives to X due to misuse issues, which were not followed, necessitating the platform’s restrictions. It further detailed that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing had requested X to restrict certain accounts that were propagating against the Chief Justice, but X did not comply.

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The lack of cooperation from X’s authorities justified regulatory actions, including a temporary shutdown. Since X operates in Pakistan but has not agreed to comply with local laws, the government’s options were limited to shutting it down temporarily. The decision was reinforced by requests from intelligence agencies to halt X’s operations on February 17, 2024, to safeguard national security and maintain law and order.

The report emphasized that the shutdown aimed not to suppress freedom of expression but to promote responsible social media usage in accordance with Pakistani laws. This approach aligns with global practices where countries sometimes restrict social media to address security concerns. The Ministry of Interior stressed its duty to protect citizens and national security, similar to previous actions taken with TikTok, which were lifted after compliance with Pakistani regulations.