Pakistani Government Blocks Access To Platform X Regarding National Security

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is now unable to access his X account. (photo: x @ImranKhanPTI)

JAKARTA - Pakistan's Interior Ministry announced on Wednesday April 17 that it had blocked access to social media platform X around the February election time for national security reasons. This confirms the long-disallowed closure.

Users in Pakistan have reported problems using X, formerly known as Twitter, since mid-February. But the government has not made an official announcement on the matter until now.

Pakistan's Ministry of Home Affairs said the closure was still in a written filing to the Islamabad High Court last Wednesday. Another trial has ordered the government to reconsider the ban within a week, "said Abdul Moiz Jafri, a plaintiff and lawyer.

"It is very relevant to mention here that Twitter/X's failure to comply with the Pakistani government's legal directives and address concerns about the abuse of its platform makes it necessary to impose a ban," the ministry said in a court lawsuit.

The Pakistani government said that X was reluctant to resolve the issue. X did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the media about it.

"The decision to impose a ban on Twitter/X in Pakistan is taken in the interest of maintaining national security, maintaining public order, and maintaining the integrity of our nation," the Pakistan Ministry of Home Affairs reported.

Access to X remains limited since the national elections in Pakistan on February 8, in which the jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party claims to have been falsified.

The Khan Party is Pakistan's largest user of social media platforms, especially after the country's traditional media began censoring news about its former cricket star and party ahead of the election. Khan has more than 20 million followers on X, making him the most followed in Pakistan.

Khan said the Pakistani military was behind his dismissal as prime minister in 2022. The dismissal was accused of helping his opponents form the current government, although his party-backed candidate won most seats in the February election. Meanwhile, the Pakistan military denied these allegations.

Khan himself remains in prison for a number of sentences, most of which appeared days before the election.

Many government officials in Pakistan, especially Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, remain using X - likely through VPN software that bypasses blocking.

According to Pakistan's Ministry of Home Affairs, the decision to temporarily block X was taken after considering classified reports from Pakistani intelligence and security agents.

The report states that: "enemy instruments operating on Twitter/X have malicious intent to create a chaotic environment and instability, with the ultimate goal of shaking the country and dropping it into anarchic form."

Human rights and marketing groups in Pakistan have now raised concerns about free speech.

Digital rights activist Usama Khilji said that the blocking of X appears to be designed to hinder democratic accountability that allows platforms with instant updates from real-time information, especially amid allegations and falsification evidence that arises after elections.

"It's almost impossible to convince Pakistani advertisers to invest in Twitter for brand communications, as the platform is limited by government authorities," said marketing consultant Saif Ali.