Once again, access to X disrupted in Pakistan, cutting off citizens’ right to freely access information; authorities must provide a credible explanation
Once again, access to the internet in Pakistan was restricted with the disruption in access to X, formerly Twitter, cutting off citizens’ right to freely access information. The disruption in access began on February 17 and has intermittently continued to be experienced for a third day on February 19. The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA), which has not provided any statement, must provide a credible explanation for this disruption and the continued use of closing and disrupting access to social media platforms such as X in the midst of key political developments.
Access to information online must be guaranteed, particularly in the post-election period when there remains much uncertainty about the political future of the country, emphasizing the need for citizens to be able to access information.
This now seems to have become a regular practice of disrupting or closing access to social media platforms or the internet. It is akin to restricting free speech in Pakistan and undermines citizens’ right to freedom of expression as guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution.
On February 17, users in Pakistan faced intermittent disruption in access to the social media platform. According to Netblocks, metrics showed a national-scale disruption. On February 18, Netblocks provided an update that X had been restricted for 24 hours.
For a third day, on February 19, users once again faced difficulty accessing X. According to Dawn, citing Downdetector, an outage was experienced in the morning around 10:30 am and, after being restored around noon, once again were disrupted after 1 pm.
In a statement shared on X, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said: “It also infringes on people’s right to democratic decision making, information, and expression. This practice must stop immediately.”
The new disruption in access to X comes after the closure of mobile connectivity and data services on election day on February 8 across Pakistan that, cast doubts on the credibility of the entire election and raised questions about the government’s motives for leaving citizens in the dark.
In the lead-up to the general elections, the country had also seen multiple disruptions in internet access. Recurrent disruptions to access social media were observed in December and January. While there was no official confirmation about the cause of the disruption, they took place when the Pakistan Tehreek i Insaf was hosting virtual events.
Source: Pakistan Press Foundation