In a recent development, the Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the Ministry of Interior to revoke its letter regarding the suspension of social media platform X within one week. The decision came during a hearing on multiple petitions filed by Zarrar Khuhro, Jibran Nasir, and others, who raised concerns over the continued inaccessibility of X to Pakistani users.
SHC Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi expressed frustration, stating, “What are you [interior ministry] achieving via shutting down trivial things… The world must laugh at us.” These remarks come in the backdrop of X’s suspension since February, citing national security threats as the reason.
The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) had previously informed the court that the suspension was implemented based on directives from the Ministry of Interior and intelligence agencies. However, the SHC chief justice emphasized during the hearing that the law does not empower the interior ministry to act solely on reports forwarded by intelligence agencies.
The petitioner’s lawyer argued that using X and other social media platforms does not lead to security threats such as “blasts.” The SHC chief justice echoed this sentiment, stating, “In hindsight [it seems that] no justification was given to suspend X.”
The court has adjourned the hearing till May 9, directing the Ministry of Interior to present its reasons for the social media platform’s suspension on that date. The SHC’s decision underscores the ongoing debate over the balance between national security concerns and citizens’ access to digital platforms. Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.
