The disruption began on Saturday last week with government still keeping mum about it.
X, Formerly Twitter, Still Inaccessible in Pakistan for Over Six Days. Pakistanis have been facing difficulties accessing X, formerly known as Twitter, for more than six days now, with the caretaker government yet to provide any explanation for the prolonged disruption.
The issue began last Saturday, leaving thousands of users unable to access the platform, which is widely used in Pakistan for quick information dissemination.
Despite inquiries, Caretaker Minister for Information and Technology Dr. Umar Saif has not commented on the matter, and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has not issued any official statement either.
According to Downdetector.com, a website tracker, user reports suggest possible problems with X (Twitter).
This prolonged disruption has raised concerns among Pakistanis, who rely on social media platforms for various purposes, including communication and information sharing.
Pakistan, despite being among the top internet user populations globally, faces challenges in internet availability, ranking lower compared to its peers. Authorities have been known to intermittently disrupt access to social media platforms, further complicating the issue.
Ahead of the February 8 general elections, several social media sites were inaccessible to users, which authorities attributed to technical errors. However, on polling day, the internet was shut down as a security measure against terrorism, according to the caretaker government. Despite the elections being over, disruptions in accessing X have persisted.
Internet shutdowns directly contradict constitutionally guaranteed rights such as freedom of information, freedom of speech, and freedom of association. In a landmark ruling in February 2018, the Islamabad High Court declared internet shutdowns unconstitutional.
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Digital rights activists have criticized the government’s lack of transparency regarding the disruption of access to X, emphasizing the importance of ensuring citizens’ rights to access information and express themselves freely online.
In a recent development, the Sindh High Court has ordered the PTA to fully restore X’s services across the country and has requested a detailed response from the authority and other parties. However, as of now, the PTA has not allowed accessibility to the platform.
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