Tech Desk
Aug 02, 2024
X (formerly known as Twitter) was suspended in Pakistan by authorities earlier this year citing national security concerns which has till date not be restored forcing people to access the social media platform through a virtual private network (VPN).
Responding to the concerns regarding the restoration of X, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Hafeezur Rehman informed the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat that restoration of X is linked to the government’s directives.
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It should be noted that the on February 17 the government suspended X following which various petitions were filed in the Sindh High Court (SHC) against the restrictions. Addressing the concerns, the federal government last month defended the ban, terming it “legitimate”.
Rehman said: "We will [remove the ban on X] on the day that the government asks us.”
The PTA chairman informed the Senate members that only 7% of the complaints forwarded to the platform in the last three months have been addressed and that X has the lowest compliance ratio among all platforms.
Rehman explained that they only block social media platforms at the government's request. He added that they reach out to the platforms about any complaints related to social media that violate Pakistani law.
