LAHORE: Pakistan’s largest province of Punjab is proposing a ban on all social media platforms for six days due to security concerns during thousands of religious processions which start next week, its information minister Uzma Bukhari said on Friday.
The proposal relates to Muharram’s Ashura processions, 10 days of mourning by minority Shiite Muslims. The event is the holiest in the Shiite calendar and commemorates the 7th century death of political and religious leader Hussain Ibn Ali.
Hussain was grandson of the Muslims’ last Prophet Muhammad.
“It is a recommendation, and no decision has so far been taken,” Bukhari told Reuters, adding that the government had received reports of some sectarian issues on social media which he said could “put the country on fire.”
The measure is aimed at protecting the minority from sectarian violence, the provincial government wrote in a letter to Pakistan’s interior ministry on Thursday.
The letter, which was seen by Reuters, said social media platforms such as “Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Tiktok be suspended across the province of Punjab ... in order to control hate material/misinformation.”
The interior ministry did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Pakistan has blocked access to X since its February election, which the interior ministry said in a court submission in April was due to national security concerns.
Civil and rights groups have criticized the ban as an attack on freedom of speech and access to information in a highly polarized country amid allegations of election fraud.
Jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party has said that the suspension of cell phone service on the election day followed by the X ban was an attempt to hurt his supporters, who rely heavily on social media.
A court is due to rule on the last of Khan’s many convictions on July 12, the first day of the latest proposed ban. It was not clear whether the proposal is related to any likely threat of protests by his supporters.
Pakistan’s Punjab seeks social media ban over security concerns during Muharram processions
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Pakistan’s Punjab seeks social media ban over security concerns during Muharram processions
- The measure is aimed at protecting the Shi’ite minority from sectarian violence, the provincial government said
- Civil and rights groups have criticized the ban as an attack on freedom of speech and access to information
Thai Air station manager found dead at Karachi airport, inquiry underway
- Airport authorities say preliminary assessments point to a cardiac incident
- CCTV footage is being secured and police and medical teams informed
ISLAMABAD: A station manager for Thai Air was found dead at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, Pakistan’s Airports Authority confirmed on Sunday, adding that preliminary indications pointed to a cardiac incident but an inquiry was still underway.
Local media reported a day earlier the body was found inside the Thai Air office at the airport terminal after the employee had not been seen for several hours. Initial medical assessments cited by local outlets suggested no immediate signs of foul play.
“A preliminary inquiry is underway,” Saifullah, a spokesperson for the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA), who uses a single name, said in a statement.
“The Airport Security Force has been instructed to preserve nearby CCTV footage, while police and medical teams have been informed,” he added. “A detailed report will be submitted once the investigation is completed.”
Thai Air, the national carrier of Thailand, has long been used by Pakistani travelers flying to Bangkok and onward destinations in Southeast Asia, particularly for tourism and business travel.
Many Pakistani travelers also reach Thailand and other destinations in the region by first flying to Middle Eastern hubs such as Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi, before catching connecting flights.
However, these routes typically add to travel time compared with direct or near-direct options.
