Pakistan govt decides complete closure of social media platform X (Twitter): sources

ISLAMABAD: Amid challenges Pakistanis are facing due to the closure of microblogging platform X (formerly Twitter), the government is mulling the complete suspension of X services in Pakistan.

Sources within PTA told Daily Ausaf that the government has decided to keep the social media platform X completely closed in Pakistan which has been inaccessible in Pakistan without a Virtual Private Network (VPN) since February 17. 

The law enforcement agencies and the PTA administration recommended the complete disruption of X and a response has been given to the Ministry of Interior regarding the closure, sources said.

READ MORE: X says working with Pakistani govt to understand concerns

Earlier, X issued a brief statement on Pakistan’s concerns regarding the platform’s no response to the Pakistan govt’s multiple requests. In a tweet, X’s Global Government Affairs said we continue to work with the Pakistani Government to understand their concerns.

On April 18, social media platform X shared this response for the first time since the site was disrupted in Pakistan on February 17, when former Rawal­pindi commissioner Liaquat Chattha accused the chief election commissioner of being involved in the rigging of February 8 polls.

The day before X’s response, the Interior Ministry in a report submitted to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) said that X was shut down in Pakistan after the company failed to adhere to directives made by the government. The federal government maintained that X did not respond to multiple requests by the government.

In March, the interior ministry informed the Sindh High Court (SHC) that the social media platform X was blocked due to intelligence agency reports.