ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government on Monday said it had imposed a “legitimate” ban on social media platform X, which was aimed at addressing national security concerns.
The statement was part of the interior ministry’s written response submitted to the Sindh High Court (SHC) with regard to a number of petitions filed against the ban and intermittent suspension of Internet services.
Authorities have blocked X, formerly known as Twitter, since February 17 after protests swept the South Asian country over allegations of vote rigging in a general election held earlier that month.
Digital rights activists and rights groups have described the shutdown, either partial or full, as a “violation” of civil liberties in the South Asian nation of more than 241 million.
But the interior ministry in its response said the ban did not contravene Article 19 of the constitution, which guarantees the right to freedom of speech and expression.
“The decision to impose a ban on Twitter/X is a legitimate exercise of the Government’s authority to regulate the use of social media platforms,” the ministry said.
“It is aimed at addressing genuine concerns related to national security and public safety, and it is undertaken with due consideration for the overarching goal of promoting responsible and lawful communication in our society.”
Pakistani authorities have long struggled to regulate social media content through different legislations, prompting critics to accuse them of trying to quell dissent.
In May this year, the government established the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency (NCCIA) under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 to probe electronic crimes, making digital rights activists describe it as yet another official attempt to stifle criticism online.
The NCCIA was approved by the caretaker government of Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar last year to take over cybercrime investigations from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
While the government says the move was meant to protect digital rights of millions of users, encourage responsible Internet use and prevent hate speech and disinformation, digital rights activists say successive governments have drafted new laws or amended old ones to curb online dissent and file criminal charges against journalists and activists to restrict freedom of speech and expression.
Pakistan government says X ban ‘legitimate,’ aimed at addressing national security concerns
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Pakistan government says X ban ‘legitimate,’ aimed at addressing national security concerns
- Authorities have blocked X, formerly known as Twitter, since Feb 17 after protests swept Pakistan over alleged vote rigging
- Digital rights activists and rights groups have described the shutdown, either partial or full, as a ‘violation’ of civil liberties
Pakistan, Indonesia sign MoUs to expand cooperation as Islamabad seeks to ease trade imbalance
- Pakistan offers to send doctors and medical experts to support Indonesia’s expanding health needs
- Indonesian president highlights close foreign policy coordination with Pakistan, including on Gaza
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Indonesia signed seven memoranda of understanding on Tuesday to deepen cooperation in trade, education and health, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif saying Islamabad aimed to narrow a $4.5 billion bilateral trade imbalance heavily tilted in Jakarta’s favor.
The agreements were concluded during Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s two-day visit to Pakistan, his first trip to the country since taking office and the first by an Indonesian head of state in seven years.
Subianto, who arrived on Monday, held detailed talks with Sharif before the signing ceremony.
“Our discussion has been extremely productive,” Sharif said at a joint media appearance. “More than 90 percent of our current imports from Indonesia are palm oil. We have discussed how to take corrective measures to balance this through Pakistan’s agri-exports, IT-led initiatives and other areas.”
Sharif earlier noted Pakistan’s bilateral trade with Indonesia stood at around $4.5 billion, with the imbalance overwhelmingly in Jakarta’s favor.
Subianto thanked Pakistan for what he called an exceptionally warm welcome, noting his aircraft had been escorted by Pakistan Air Force JF-17 fighter jets.
He said the meeting had produced agreements across several fields, including trade, agriculture, education and science and technology.
The Indonesian president also welcomed Pakistan’s offer to help his country address critical shortages of medical professionals.
“Indonesia has vast needs for doctors, dentists and medical experts, and Pakistan’s support in this regard is strategic and critical,” he said.
Sharif noted Pakistan would be ready to send doctors, dentists and medical professors to assist Indonesia’s plans to expand its medical colleges and universities.
He added that Islamabad would “work closely and diligently” with Jakarta to achieve the targets set during the visit.
Subianto said both countries were also coordinating closely on foreign policy, particularly on developments in Gaza, and reaffirmed Indonesia’s support for a two-state solution.
He invited Sharif to visit Jakarta to deepen cooperation under the new agreements.
Pakistan and Indonesia marked the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year, with both leaders saying the visit would help lift relations to what Sharif called “a much higher level” in trade, development and people-to-people links.
