ISLAMABAD: Twitter late Sunday suspended the account belonging to the head of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, Khadim Rizvi, following tweets that incited violence and hate speech.
Pakistan has been roiled by protests after the controversial acquittal of a Christian woman on blasphemy charges, with TLP supporters bringing major cities to a standstill and demanding people be held accountable for the Supreme Court’s decision.
Rizvi used his verified Twitter account to threaten the lives of the judges involved in the order as well as incite violence against those he said were complicit in the ruling, such as the head of Pakistan’s powerful military General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
His calls for violence led to his account being reported but one Pakistan-based NGO said his tweets did not break the rules.
“Tweets from Maulana Khadim Rizvi’s account so far have been merely political expression, challenging state authorities and narratives, which at times touch the boundaries of being offensive but not violating the international principles of free speech and community guidelines of Twitter platform,” said Shahzad Ahmed, founder of Bytes for All.
Last Saturday prominent author Ayesha Siddiqa asked the human rights minister to intervene.
“Madame Minister @ShireenMazari1 shouldn’t your ministry at least write to Facebook and twitter to block Khadim Rizvi and his accounts? How can any one threaten the state and its institutions.”
Mazari replied that government efforts were under way to have the account removed through the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.
“PTA was asked to do this by the relevant minister on Friday and I am shocked it hasnt happened as I was present when PTA bureaucracy was finally found available and tasked!” she said.
The information minister said Twitter had refused Islamabad’s request, Mazari later tweeted.
Lawyer and human rights activist Nighat Dad urged her 39,000 followers to submit examples of Rizvi’s calls for violence or hate speech.
“Humans of twitter please send us any tweets of Khadim Hussain Rizvi inciting violence and hate speech,” she said. “Shukria!! Take screenshots also send URLs of certain tweets. DMs are open.”
On Monday Rizvi’s page read: “Account Suspended. Twitter suspends accounts that violate Twitter rules.”
The suspension was welcomed by many, including Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ex-wife Jemima Goldsmith who tweeted: “Something good happened today. Well done Twitter,” with a screenshot of Rizvi’s suspended account notice.
Dad also celebrated the suspension. “Okay great humans of twitter seems Khadim Hussain Rizvi’s twitter handle is gone.”
But Twitter user Muhammad Tayyab protested the account’s temporary closure. “You cant stop us from our mission. We will defend the cause of Namoose Risalat and Khatme Nabuwat on every platform. #KhadimHussainRizvi,” read the tweet.
Another Twitter user, Labbaik Media, challenged the suspension. “What hate content was tweeted by Allama Khadim Hussain Rizvi’s account? Tell me!”
Khadim Rizvi’s Twitter account suspended
Khadim Rizvi’s Twitter account suspended
- Twitter initially refused suspension demands
- Ministers were fighting to have his account blocked
Pakistan kills 11 militants in separate operations in western provinces
- Military says five Baloch separatist fighters were killed in an intelligence-based operation in Kohlu district
- Police say six Pakistani Taliban died in Lakki Marwat during a joint operation after drone attacks on homes
ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR: Pakistani security forces and police killed at least 11 militants in separate counterterrorism operations in the country’s western provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, authorities said on Friday, highlighting the distinct insurgencies confronting the country along its border with Afghanistan.
In southwestern Balochistan, the military said it killed separatist militants in an intelligence-based operation in Kohlu District on Dec. 25, while police in the northwestern district of Lakki Marwat fought and killed the Pakistani Taliban.
Pakistan’s military said the Balochistan operation targeted fighters it identified as part of “Fitna al Hindustan,” a term authorities use for Baloch separatist outfits, including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which have waged a decades-long insurgency in the resource-rich province.
“During the conduct of operation, own forces effectively engaged the terrorists’ location, and after an intense fire exchange, five Indian sponsored terrorists were sent to hell,” the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement, adding that weapons and explosives were recovered and follow-up clearance operations were underway.
In Lakki Marwat, police said counterterrorism units and local peace committees launched a coordinated operation against militants they described as “khwarij,” a term the Pakistani state uses for factions aligned with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella group of militants that primarily operates in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to police, six militants were killed and several others wounded during the operation, after authorities said militants had used drone-mounted devices to target residential homes, injuring civilians.
“Protection of life and property of the public is the police’s top priority, and strict, indiscriminate action against khwarij and other anti-peace elements will continue,” Bannu Region Deputy Inspector General Sajjad Khan said in a statement released by the regional police office.
The two operations highlight Pakistan’s parallel security challenges in its western regions.
In Balochistan, separatist groups accuse the federal government and military of marginalizing ethnic Baloch communities and denying them a fair share of the province’s mineral wealth, allegations Islamabad denies.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the TTP has intensified attacks on security forces and civilians since the Afghan Taliban’s return to power in Kabul in 2021.
Pakistan has repeatedly said these militant groups operating in both provinces receive backing from India and find shelter in Afghanistan, claims denied by New Delhi and Kabul.
Pakistani authorities said counterterrorism operations will continue nationwide under a campaign approved by the federal government to curb militancy and restore security.
