The Islamabad High Court has received a detailed report from the Interior Ministry addressing the blockage of the social media platform X, shedding light on the legal and factual grounds behind the decision.
On the pretext of X not being registered in Pakistan and not adhering to the local laws, the report justified the imposing of restrictions to uphold national security interests. The primary concern behind the ban is to prevent the platform’s misuse for promoting extremist ideologies and inaccurate information instead of undermining the freedom of expression.
The Interior Ministry’s report reveals that X’s failure to comply with Pakistani laws led to its blockage. Despite requests from the Federal Investigation Agency’s cyber crimes wing to block accounts involved in propagating misleading information against the Chief Justice of Pakistan, X remained unresponsive.
This recent development aligns with the government’s broader efforts to regulate social media platforms, ensuring compliance with Pakistani laws.
In response to the court’s inquiries, the Interior Ministry has clarified that the request to block X does not impinge on fundamental rights and can be justified in the initial stages.