X suspended for failing to address concerns of Pakistan govt, IHC told

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Interior in a report submitted to the Islamabad High Court today said that social media platform X was shut down in Pakistan after failing to adhere to directives made by the government.

Islamabad High Court (IHC) was told this during the hearing of the petition challenging the closure of Twitter “X”. Interior Secretary Khurram Agha, on behalf of his ministry, submitted a report.

According to the 21-page reply submitted to the court, the decision to suspend X in Pakistan was taken after X did not respond to multiple requests by the government. The ministry reply stated that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has requests X numerous times to block accounts involved in defamatory campaigns against the chief justice.

“This lack of cooperation from Twitter/X in addressing content that violates Pakistani laws and values further justifies the need for regulatory measures including the temporary ban,” the reply added. The reply said that the purpose of blocking X, formerly known as Twitter, is not to restrict freedom of expression or access to information. 

“Twitter has not complied with the requests of Pakistani authorities but rather demonstrated a lack of responsiveness to Pakistan’s concerns regarding offensive material uploaded on their platform or trends that undermine the sovereignty and dignity of Pakistan,” the ministry replied.

READ MORE: X (Twitter) blocked in Pakistan due to illegal content, say govt sources

According to the authorities, the closure of “X” is not a violation of Article 19 of the Constitution, which bans social media platforms in various countries for security reasons. The application should be dismissed, the Interior Ministry requested.

The statement also added that after the reports from intelligence agencies, the interior ministry ordered the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to block  X on February 17.

The ministry said that the confidential intelligence reports can be shown to the court if needed. The ministry also said that the unchecked dissemination of fake news can pose a threat to society.