KARACHI – The Sindh High Court was informed that social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, is now accessible again in Pakistan after a seven-month-long ban.
A lawyer representing Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) made this statement during hearing of a case before the court.
The Sindh High Court had sought PTA’s explanation on the matter, prompting the lawyer to clarify the government’s stance on X’s accessibility.
The lawyer informed the court that the original letter requesting the platform’s ban in February had been withdrawn, leading to the restoration of access.
However, it remains uncertain whether the unblocking of X is permanent or if restrictions might be reimposed.
The initial ban on X was imposed in February due to allegations of election fraud raised by a senior government official. In the lead-up to the February 8 general elections, citizens faced difficulties accessing social media platforms, which officials attributed to technical problems. On election day, the interim government enforced a complete internet shutdown, citing concerns over terrorism prevention.
Even after the elections, users continued to encounter disruptions, particularly with X, raising alarms about potential violations of constitutional rights. These actions were seen as conflicting with Article 19-A (freedom of information), Article 19 (freedom of speech), and Article 17 (freedom of association), with critics arguing that such measures compromised the democratic process and restricted citizens’ ability to access and share information freely.
The court has now adjourned further hearings on the related petitions for two weeks.
