The Sindh High Court (SHC) mandated the interior ministry to present its stance by April 17 regarding a lawsuit challenging the suspension of the social media platform X, once known as Twitter.
SHC Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi and a colleague presided over the case. Despite awaiting the ministry’s input, the court has not received any.
Chief Justice Abbasi expressed impatience, questioning the delay in getting a brief response. He urged the petitioner’s team to expedite obtaining this information.
During the session, Advocate Abdul Moiz Jaferii mentioned unexpectedly discovering X’s accessibility while in court. Chief Justice Abbasi stressed the need for the ministry’s prompt reply, threatening to summon the interior secretary directly.
The hearing is postponed until April 17, with explicit instructions for the ministry to provide its reply by then.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi recently emphasized the need for refined legislation to govern internet speech, referencing the ongoing blockage of X.
Read: Interior Minister Calls for Stricter Laws on Internet Speech Amid Social Media Ban
Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed X’s suspension, attributing it to issues predating their administration and mentioning the lack of a formal ban notice. He proposed drafting a social media charter to outline acceptable online behaviour.
Regarding Tarar’s comments, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Major General (retd) Hafeezur Rehman clarified that the PTA had not received a formal directive to block X.
The continued inaccessibility of X has sparked debate over freedom of expression, culminating in a collective critique from 28 civil organizations, including Amnesty International and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.
