X banned due to company's failure to address concerns, IHC told
Pakistan
Petition filed by Ehtisham Abbasi, named information ministry and PTA as respondents
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The ministry of interior submitted its report regarding the ban on social media site ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) to the Islamabad High Court on Wednesday.
It was stated that the petition to lift the ban on social media site ‘X’ was in contrary to the law and it should not have been listed in the hearing criteria as such.
Moreover, it was added that the ‘X’ was neither registered in the country nor in was under any obligation to work according to the Pakistani laws.
Quoting an example, the ‘X’ completely ignored the request of the FIA cybercrime to ban those accounts involved in propaganda against the chief justice.
Defending the ban, the official said the government has no other option but to put a temporary ban on the X.
Read More: X closure: IHC summons secretary interior
It was added that the ban on X was an effort to urge the social media company to adhere to the country’s rules.
The plea
The petition was filed by Ehtisham Abbasi and named the information ministry and the PTA as the respondents in the case.
It urged the high court to issue directives to the respondents to “immediately lift the ban on X (Twitter) access in the interest of justice”.
It highlighted that the “act of the respondents against journalists particularly in the recent past is highly violative” of Article 19 of the Constitution (freedom of speech).
Referring to the “very important fundamental right” as provided under Article 14 of the Constitution (inviolability of dignity of man, etc), the plea said that the “liberty of a person” was a “pivotal right and falls squarely within the ambit of right to life and dignity of a person”.
