No decision yet on Internet closure during Muharram: Interior Ministry
Pakistan
The requests for closure of Internet services had been received from the provinces.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - The Ministry of Interior on Friday clarified that it had not taken any decision regarding the closure of Internet services during Muharram-ul-Haram.
According to a statement issued by a ministry spokesperson, requests had been received from the provinces in that regard, but the ministry had yet taken any decision on them.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Punjab government on Thursday sent recommendations to the Federal Interior Secretary to ban social media from 6th to 11th Muharram to control hate material, misinformation to avoid sectarian violence.
The provincial Home Department wrote a letter to the interior ministry’s secretary after a meeting recommending suspension of “social media applications Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, X (Twitter), TikTok, etc. across the province from Muharram 6 to 11 to control hate material, misinformation and to avoid sectarian violence”.
Sources said that the Punjab government had initially planned suspension of social media on days of Ashura – Muharram 9 and 10. However, the information from intelligence agencies forced it to go for more stringent measures to maintain law and order during the holy month.
