ISLAMABAD: In a recent development, Parliamentary Secretary Mehdi has confirmed that the social media site X, or Twitter, has been blocked in Pakistan.
Mehdi made his revelation to the National Assembly, emphasizing that Pakistan pays more attention to fake news than any other country. He further revealed that a shocking 86,000 SIM cards have been blocked throughout Pakistan due to anti-state activities.
Mehdi communicated to the house that the Electronic Crimes Act is soon to be amended. The Prime Minister has called for a task force to combat fake news.
This followed after Asia Naz Tanoli, a Member of Parliament, introduced a notice calling for an immediate response to control fake news. Tanoli noted the destruction fake news can have and that blocking it before it happens is necessary.
In response to Tanoli’s concerns, Mehdi named the issue of fake news as a national security threat. He pointed out the government’s working plan to combat the problem, from the blocking of Twitter to addressing the loopholes within the Electronic Crimes Act 2016.
Another Member of Parliament, Nuzhat Sadiq, condemned fake news, stating that it has very bad ramifications for the nation and its institutions, and called for swift measures against those responsible for its propagation.
