In February 2024, after 10 days of general elections, the Pakistani government blocked access to X (formerly known as Twitter).
Firstly both the government and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) repeatedly refused to block the platform for weeks.
The first official acknowledgment came in March when the interior ministry informed the Sindh High Court that the ban was imposed based on intelligence agency requests.
In April, the ministry told the Islamabad High Court that X had failed to comply with government directives to prevent the ‘misuse’ of its platform.
According to Dawn, the government also claimed that X did not respond adequately to the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) requests to block accounts involved in defamatory campaigns against former Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and the army chief.
Government cited national security concerns as a reason behind social media platform blockage.
Then the Interior Ministry stated that this action was necessary to maintain national security and preserve public order.
The Ministry of Interior expressed that the decision to ban X was made to prevent the spread of misinformation and to restrain activities that could destabilize the country. He said that the platform’s failure to adhere to lawful directives and address concerns about misuse necessitated the ban.
The ban has encountered significant criticism from various sectors, including activists, journalists, and political figures, who view it as a disregard to freedom of expression. Users rely on virtual private networks (VPNs) to access the platform.
As of March 2025, the ban on X still persists, however the government is continuously using the platform for official announcements.
