Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Trying to understand Pakistan government's concerns: X

The social media platform has been rarely accessible since February 17, when Imran Khan’s party called for protests against alleged rigging in elections

Trying to understand Pakistan government's concerns: X

Social media platform X said Thursday it would work with Pakistan's government "to understand its concerns" after authorities insisted an ongoing two-month ban was based on security grounds.

The platform, formerly known as Twitter, has been rarely accessible since February 17, when jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party called for protests following a government official's admission of vote manipulation in the February election.


"We continue to work with the Pakistani Government to understand their concerns," X's Global Government Affairs team posted, in their first comments since the site was disrupted.

The Interior Ministry on Wednesday said X was blocked on security grounds, according to a report submitted to the Islamabad High Court where one of several challenges to the ban is being heard.

On the same day, the High Court of the southern Sindh province ordered the government to restore access to social media platform X within a week.

"The Sindh High Court has given the government one week to withdraw the letter, failing which, on the next date, they will pass appropriate orders," Moiz Jaaferi, a lawyer challenging the ban, told AFP.

The court's decision has yet to be published.

"The court order gave the government one week to decide what it wants to do," lawyer Jibran Nasir, another petitioner, told AFP.

High court orders apply provincially, but can act as a precedent for other top courts.

Both the government and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had for weeks refused to comment on the outages.

"It is the sole prerogative and domain of the federal government to decide what falls within the preview of terms of 'defence' or 'security' of Pakistan and what steps are necessary to be taken to safeguard National Security," said the interior ministry's report, submitted by senior official Khurram Agha.

The interior ministry suggested intelligence agencies were behind the order.

The closure of a social media service "when there is request from any security or intelligence agency" is "well within the scope of provisions of the PTA act", the report said.

Digital rights activists, however, said it was designed to quash dissent after February 8 polls that were fraught with claims of rigging.

Access to X has been sporadic, occasionally available for short cycles based on the internet service provider, forcing users to use virtual private networks.

Mobile services were cut across Pakistan on election day, with the interior ministry also citing security reasons.

It was followed by a long delay in issuing voting results, giving rise to allegations of tampering.

Khan's opposition party had already faced heavy censorship in the weeks before the election, banned from television channels and from holding rallies, forcing its campaign online.

The party candidates were not allowed to use party symbol during the election and they had to contest as independents.

Despite the crackdown, his party candidates won the most seats but they were kept from power by a coalition of rival parties that had the backing of the military. (AFP)

More For You

Naga Munchetty exposes online scam that used her fake photos on social media

BBC’s Naga Munchetty speaks out against online scams misusing her image to deceive the public

Getty Images

Naga Munchetty exposes online scam that used her fake photos on social media

BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty has expressed her shock and frustration after discovering that her name and image were being used in online scams. In a personal account published on the BBC website, Munchetty described how fake advertisements featuring manipulated images of her were circulating on social media platforms like Facebook and X. These ads included crude photoshopped pictures of her face on someone else’s body, alongside links to fraudulent websites.

Munchetty said she was “mortified and bemused” by the ads, which were designed to trick people into clicking on fake news articles. These articles falsely claimed she had been detained by the government after revealing a “lucrative loophole” to make money during an interview on ITV’s This Morning. The fake articles used the BBC’s logo and branding to appear legitimate, but they were part of a scam to lure people into investing in a fraudulent cyber trading platform.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi-Kumbh

Modi, dressed in a saffron sweatshirt and black sweatpants with saffron stripes, took dips in the knee-deep water. (Photo: X/@narendramodi)

Modi takes holy dip at Maha Kumbh, days after deadly stampede

INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi took a holy dip in the sacred river waters in Prayagraj on Wednesday as he joined millions at the Maha Kumbh Mela, a week after a stampede at the event left dozens dead.

Authorities confirmed 30 deaths in the stampede on January 29, which was the festival's most auspicious day. More than 76 million people gathered at the river for a 'royal dip'. Reuters sources put the death toll at over 50.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nottingham-attacks

Calocane killed university students Grace O'Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber, along with school caretaker Ian Coates, on 13 June 2023. (Photo: Getty Images)

Report finds Valdo Calocane rejected medication before Nottingham killings

AN INDEPENDENT investigation into the mental health care of Valdo Calocane, who killed three people in Nottingham in June 2023, has found that he was not forced to take injectable antipsychotic medication because he disliked needles.

The full report was released by NHS England following pressure from the victims' families.

Keep ReadingShow less
aga-khan-reuters-lead

A long-time friend of the late Queen Elizabeth, Aga Khan IV was appointed KBE in 2004. (Photo: Reuters)

Aga Khan IV: Bridging faith, philanthropy, and development

HIS HIGHNESS Prince Karim al-Husseini, known as the Aga Khan, led the Ismaili Muslim community for nearly seven decades while building one of the world’s largest private development networks.

As the 49th hereditary imam of the Ismaili sect of Shia Islam, he combined religious leadership with extensive philanthropic efforts across Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tulsi Gabbard

Gabbard, 43, has faced bipartisan concerns over her suitability for the role overseeing US intelligence agencies. (Photo: Getty Images)

Tulsi Gabbard moves closer to US intelligence chief role

TULSI GABBARD, former Democratic congresswoman and president Donald Trump's nominee for Director of National Intelligence (DNI), has been approved by a key Senate committee in a private vote, moving her nomination forward to a full Senate vote.

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, led by Republicans, voted 9-8 along party lines to advance Gabbard’s nomination. A full Senate vote on her confirmation is expected as early as next week, according to the Washington Post.

Keep ReadingShow less