Islamabad: Pakistan issued a strong demarche to India over the recent blocking of Pakistan’s high-level Twitter accounts in India.
In a statement on Friday, Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said that the Indian Charge d’ Affaires (Cd’A) in Islamabad was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and a strong demarche was made on the Indian government’s blocking of access to the content of 80 accounts on Twitter including accounts of Pakistan’s diplomatic missions in Iran, Turkey, Egypt, UN-New York, and the national broadcaster Radio Pakistan, by activating geo-blocking and censorship laws.
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Pakistan registers strong protest on India’s recent blocking of Twitter accounts
🔗⬇️https://t.co/ZoRRFSFQIo pic.twitter.com/78SkUIc775
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 1, 2022
Pakistan conveyed to India that such actions were against the international standards, obligations, norms, and framework of the flow of information and reflected the alarming pace of shrinking space for pluralistic voices and curbing of fundamental freedoms in India.
It was also noted, according to the spokesperson, that the new illegal practice employed by the Indian government of “regulating the internet sphere concerning diplomatic accounts”, with a clear “intent to stifle dissent”, stood against the right to access to information and fundamental freedom of opinion or expression.
Read: India blocks Twitter accounts of several Pakistani embassies
Pakistan urged the Indian government to immediately reverse its actions relating to the blocking of the Twitter accounts of Pakistani diplomatic missions. It also called on India to abide by the established international norms and standards as espoused by the United Nations and ensure the protection of fundamental freedoms and respect for dissent.
