New Delhi: The government of Pakistan has a default response to political protests, provocations, or progressive ideas that are shaping the online discourse in the country—internet shutdowns and bans. So much so that Pakistanis fooling the system by using VPN is now the norm.
Critics are saying that the suspension of X undermines fundamental rights to freedom of expression and access to information, hindering democratic accountability.
Disruptions and bans have been going on in Pakistan since the middle of 2023 when former PM Imran Khan was arrested.
The latest disruption of X began on 17 February, shortly after Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Chatha, alleged that Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa and Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja were involved in massive rigging in the 8 February polls. While the commissioner later retracted his statement, the authorities swiftly moved to restrict access to the microblogging site.
Speaking to ThePrint, human rights lawyer Yasser Latif Hamdani said that while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) claims aimed at the Chief of Army Staff and Supreme Court were abrasive, a complete blackout was uncalled for.
In February, Dawn journalist Zarrar Khuhro, among others, filed a petition against the ban in Karachi. Hamdani filed his petition in March at Islamabad High Court.
Despite previous denials of any ban on X by government officials, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) disclosed to the Sindh High Court in March that it had shut down the platform at the interior ministry’s request. This was the first admission of the ban.
The Interior Ministry then informed the Islamabad High Court in April that the suspension of X was based on intelligence agency reports citing national security concerns.
In an interim ruling in March, the Sindh High Court specifically ordered the restoration of X within a week unless closure was lawfully justified or reasonably grounded. However, it is yet to be restored fully.
“They (the establishment) see Twitter as this existential threat to the military or the establishment, so they take a dim view and try to somehow control the internet,” Hamdani said.
Hamdani, who is fighting the legal battle against the disruption of X, and earlier YouTube, in Pakistan, added that “legally, there is no clear basis for the restrictions on X. The government’s actions seem to violate both the Constitution and judicial rulings that require any restrictions to be reasonable and justified.” And that despite the case being filed in March, progress has been minimal, with recent hearings being postponed indefinitely.
“The lack of progress in addressing the legality of the ban sets a concerning precedent for digital rights in Pakistan. Unfortunately, there seems to be a departure from recognising digital rights as fundamental rights, leading to a deterioration in human rights protection overall,” he added.
X was Pakistan’s political battleground. It was a space where allegations were made, claims were justified and even elections were fought.
Then the government unofficially banned it and refused to relent until the courts intervened.
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Violation of human rights
The current cycle of internet shutdowns in Pakistan is marked by controversy, allegations of election fraud, and concerns about national security.
The intermittent restoration of access to the platform has also led to confusion regarding the status of the ban.
The IT & Telecom Ministry in its response also told the Islamabad High Court that telecom shutdowns are under federal jurisdiction, while the PTA cited non-compliance of X with Pakistani regulations, alleging X led to hostilities “aimed at destabilizing the country”. On 17 April, X too gave an official statement where it said it was trying to resolve issues, Dawn reported.
Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, have strongly condemned the ban, viewing it as a form of digital censorship that undermines Pakistan’s international obligations.
“The blocking of X for more than three months in Pakistan is extremely troubling, particularly in the broader context of suppressing the right to freedom of expression and cracking down on the right to protest in the country,” Livia Saccardi, Deputy Regional Director, Campaigns at Amnesty, told ThePrint.
Additionally, she pointed out that the ban disproportionately affects individuals who lack the technical knowledge or resources to use VPNs, restricting access to the platform.
The practical impact of X’s ban has been questioned, as many Pakistanis, including ministers, continue to access X using virtual private networks (VPNs). Shahzad Ahmad, Country Director, Bytes For All, Pakistan, a digital rights think-tank said that the continued blocking is also a persistent source of embarrassment for the government on the international stage.
He added that despite the restrictions, youngsters and various government institutions, including the Prime Minister’s Office, continue to access X using VPNs. “While this is hilarious to note, it underscores the resilience of users in circumventing the speculated firewall being erected in Pakistan. As per international human rights standards and relating them to the economic indicators, this block is costing the country billions, however, might is right,” he said.
X and its political influence
X’s significance as a politically active platform in Pakistan was highlighted on 9 May 2023, when supporters of Imran Khan stormed military installations in protest of his arrest, there has been an increase in government and military criticism directed at social media platforms since then.
Despite having a relatively small user base—Pakistan has 128 million internet users and 4.7 million X users, X has served as a space for critical discourse and dissent. It’s where Khan’s devoted supporters and others, vocally denounce the government’s crackdown on his political party and condemn the military’s purported involvement in civilian affairs. Khan is also the most followed person on X in the country.
A PTI supporter told ThePrint, on condition of anonymity, that the establishment wanted to repeat the era of Zia-ul-Haq and ‘shape a narrative of lies’ and hence the crackdown on dissenters.
“This fascist republic will not take any measure to ensure digital rights,” one of the supporters said.
This isn’t the first time Pakistan has seen restrictions on digital platforms, but the sustained and prolonged nature of the current disruption is unprecedented.
YouTube was banned in 2012 because of a film called Innocence of Muslims, which was considered blasphemous. The ban continued for four years, Hamdani said.