The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has taken action on a petition challenging the ban on X (formerly Twitter) in Pakistan, issuing notices to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the information ministry.
The ban on X came into effect on February 17, following contentious allegations made by former Rawalpindi commissioner, Liaquat Chattha, implicating top officials in alleged misconduct during the February 8 general elections.
Caretaker Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting, and Parliamentary Affairs, Murtaza Solangi, previously expressed the government’s concerns about social media misuse, particularly in instigating violence. He reiterated the government’s commitment to address such misconduct within the bounds of the law.
Today, the plea challenging the ban was presented before IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, who was informed about the ban’s imposition since February 17. As a result, the IHC has issued notices to both the information ministry and the PTA, with the hearing adjourned until the following week.
In a separate development, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Bahramand Tangi introduced a resolution in the Senate last week, proposing bans on several social media platforms, including Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, X, and YouTube. Tangi has since retracted his statement and apologized for the resolution, citing concerns about the adverse effects of these platforms on the country’s youth.
