The Interior Ministry informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday that the ban on the social networking site X, formerly known as Twitter, was implemented due to concerns regarding its misuse, which the platform allegedly failed to address.
Interior Secretary Khurram Agha, representing the ministry, submitted a report to the court in response to a petition challenging the ban on the social media platform.
The report also urged the court to dismiss the petition, asserting that no rights of the petitioner had been violated.
According to the report, the ban on X was necessitated by the platform’s alleged failure to comply with lawful directives from the government of Pakistan and address concerns related to its misuse.
The report argued that the petition against the closure of X lacked legal basis and factual accuracy.
Furthermore, the report highlighted that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Cybercrime Wing had requested X to ban accounts that were allegedly spreading propaganda against the chief justice. However, X officials reportedly ignored these requests, prompting the decision to temporarily close the platform.
The report emphasized that the Ministry of Interior issued orders for the closure of X on February 17, 2024, in response to requests from intelligence agencies, aiming to safeguard national security and maintain law and order.
Explaining the rationale behind the ban, the report stated, “The decision to impose a ban on Twitter/X in Pakistan was made in the interest of upholding national security, maintaining public order, and preserving the integrity of our nation.”
It further noted the indiscriminate use of social media platforms to spread extremist ideologies and false information, with X allegedly being exploited by certain elements to disrupt law and order and promote instability.
