Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Hafeezur Rehman on Thursday said that the organization would lift the ban from Twitter, now known as X, whenever the government would instruct to do so.
He made the statement during the meeting of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat which Rana Mahdmoodul Hassan chaired on Wednesday in Islamabad.
The social media platform has been blocked in Pakistan since February 17th, 2024 on national security concerns, just a few days after the February 8th elections in the country. The platform can be accessed through Virtual Private Network. “We will [remove the ban on X] on the day that the government asks us,” said Rehman.
Read more: Twitter Suspended in Pakistan: Government Concerns
After the elections, discussions on the fairness and transparency of the polls were widespread on the platform. Subsequently, users reported difficulties in accessing X, although no official statement was made by the Pakistani government on the matter.
However, the interior ministry, in a report submitted to the Islamabad High Court concerning the suspension, maintained that it took this action due to national security concerns. Following this, X issued its statement.
The ministry’s report to the court mentioned that “content uploaded on the internet” posed a “threat” to national security.
The ministry emphasized that X is not registered in Pakistan and has not agreed to comply with Pakistani laws.
The lack of cooperation from X authorities justified regulatory actions against the platform, including its temporary closure, as per the ministry.
The Federal Investigation Agency’s cybercrime wing had requested X to suspend accounts spreading anti-chief justice propaganda, but X officials reportedly ignored the request, according to the report.
The ministry noted that social media platforms, including X, are being misused to spread extremist ideologies and false information, contributing to lawlessness and instability.