X aka Twitter Remains Blocked for Fourth Straight Day

The widely-used social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, remains blocked to a significant number of users throughout Pakistan, as the government has yet to disclose the reason behind the sudden shutdown since Saturday. The blocking of the social media platform was followed by admittance of election result rigging by Rawalpindi Commissioner, who was later arrested and shifted to an unknown location.

Despite a large number of internet users, internet censorship in Pakistan is getting worse with the government and authorities having complete control to what citizens access online with no regard to the constitution and the right to freedom of expression.

Leading up to the general elections on February 8, users faced difficulties accessing several social media sites, which authorities attributed to technical glitches. However, on the day of the elections, internet services were deliberately suspended to prevent potential terrorist activities, as stated by the caretaker government. Subsequently, following the conclusion of the elections, there have been recurrent disruptions in accessing platform X.

These internet shutdowns directly violate constitutionally guaranteed rights such as the freedom of information (Article 19-A), freedom of speech (Article 19), and freedom of association (Article 17). In a landmark ruling in February 2018, the Islamabad High Court declared internet shutdowns to be in violation of fundamental rights and the constitution.

The authorities responsible for overseeing internet access demonstrate a blatant disregard for the constitution by arbitrarily blocking internet and social media access as they see fit. Notably, access to platform X, formerly known as Twitter, remains blocked, while internet services experience widespread degradation throughout the country.

Moreover, attempts to circumvent these restrictions using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) have proven another problem, as many widely used VPNs ceased to work on Saturday and are encountering difficulties connecting to servers. The lack of transparency surrounding the reasoning behind the restriction on platform X exacerbates the situation, with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and relevant ministries seemingly unaware of the issue or choosing to ignore media inquiries.

Despite the apparent disruption to access, no authority or ministry has taken responsibility for blocking platform X (Twitter) in Pakistan, highlighting the absence of a valid justification for such actions. This lack of accountability raises legal concerns, as the restriction arguably violates Pakistan’s constitution.