Pakistan‘s interior ministry has officially confirmed the blocking of access to social media platform X in the country, citing national security concerns around the time of February’s election. Users had reported issues with accessing X, formerly known as Twitter, since mid-February, but the government had not made any official announcement regarding the matter until now. The interior ministry acknowledged the shutdown in a written submission to the Islamabad High Court, revealing that the decision to impose the ban was made in the interest of upholding national security, maintaining public order, and preserving the integrity of the nation.
According to the ministry’s court submission, X had been reluctant to address concerns regarding the misuse of its platform and adhere to lawful directives from the government of Pakistan. The decision to block X was taken after considering confidential reports from Pakistan’s intelligence and security agencies, which highlighted the presence of “hostile elements” on the platform with intentions to create chaos and instability. While X stated that it continues to work with Pakistan’s government to address its concerns, rights groups and marketing advertisers have raised concerns about the impact of the block on democratic accountability and brand communications.
The temporary block on X has affected various stakeholders, including political parties, government officials, digital rights activists, and marketing consultants. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other government officials are reportedly using X, likely through VPN software bypassing the blocks. However, digital rights activist Usama Khilji expressed concerns that the block on X could hinder democratic accountability, especially amid allegations of election rigging. Marketing consultant Saif Ali noted the challenges in convincing Pakistani advertisers to invest in Twitter due to governmental throttling, highlighting the broader implications of the platform’s restriction on brand communications.
