X Users Face Disruption in Pakistan for 3rd Day in a row.
For the third consecutive day on Monday, netizens in Pakistan experienced ongoing difficulties in accessing X, formerly known as Twitter, as the interim government remained silent regarding the unprecedented blockage of the social networking platform.
According to internet monitor Netblocks, Pakistan has been facing nationwide disruptions to X since February 17, with the situation persisting.
This disruption follows allegations of election rigging in the February 8 polls by political parties, which took place amidst cellular service suspensions across the country.
While social media platforms have experienced disruptions in Pakistan previously, this current situation stands out as particularly noteworthy, with many X users reportedly resorting to Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to access the platform over the past three days.
In response to inquiries about the outage, Caretaker Minister for Interior Gohar Ejaz expressed unawareness, stating, “No knowledge. it doesn’t come under interior ministry,” in a WhatsApp message to Al Jazeera, as reported on Monday.
Al Jazeera also noted that Caretaker Minister for Information, Murtaza Solangi, and Caretaker Minister for Information Technology, Umar Saif, remained unresponsive to multiple queries regarding the disruption.
Additionally, it was noted that officials at the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the state regulatory body, remained unresponsive to numerous inquiries regarding the closure.
However, they suggested that the PTA solely acts as a regulatory body, enforcing directives issued by the government.
In contrast, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) emphasized the detrimental effects of internet disruption or social media platform shutdowns.
They highlighted how such actions negatively impact online businesses and commerce, exacerbating the challenges faced by an already fragile economy.
Furthermore, the HRCP asserted that these measures impinge upon individuals’ rights to democratic decision-making, access to information, and freedom of expression. Urging an immediate cessation of such practices, the HRCP emphasized the importance of upholding these fundamental rights.
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