Pakistan government defends 'X' ban in court
Pakistan authorities on Monday informed a high court that banning the social media platform 'X' (formerly Twitter) is not against the laws of the country.
The Sindh High Court (SHC) was hearing a case against the ban on the social media platform 'X', which was blocked on February 17 in the wake of rigging controversy during the Feb 8 elections.
The Ministry of Interior submitted a response to the court, stating that the ban on X was in compliance with Article 19 of the Constitution. "All legal requirements were fulfilled before imposing the ban on X. Article 19 allows freedom of speech but also includes certain legal restrictions," the ministry explained.
The ministry further justified the ban by citing instances where the platform was used to disseminate hate speech against national institutions, raising concerns about national security and dignity. Reports from sensitive agencies were also mentioned.
In its statement, the ministry argued that the petition challenging the ban is not admissible, emphasizing the government's responsibility to protect citizens' rights. It also noted that X had repeatedly violated local laws and had not signed any Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Pakistan to comply with local regulations.
The statement highlighted that similar bans had been imposed on other social media platforms like TikTok, which were later lifted after the platforms signed MoUs and agreed to follow Pakistani laws.
Interestingly despite the ban, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other top officials continue to use X to post statements.
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