Govt 'silent' as X faces disruption for 14th consecutive day in Pakistan

For a fourteenth consecutive day, social media platform X remained disrupted in Pakistan on Friday, with officials still reluctant to issue any clarity on the situation.

Earlier, the Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to fully restore the services of X across the country and sought a detailed response from the concerned authority. 

However, the current suspension seems contempt of the orders of the top provincial court.

The platform has been inaccessible since February 17 when former Rawalpindi commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha accused the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja and Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faiz Isa of being involved in rigging the Feb 8 general elections.

Earlier, Global Internet Monitor, NetBlocks, said Pakistan had joined 'exclusive set of countries' that impose permanent bans on social media platforms.

Internet shutdowns are a violation of the Constitution's Article 19-A (freedom of information), Article 19 (freedom of speech), and Article 17 (freedom of association).

The Islamabad High Court, in its 2018 ruling, had also declared internet shutdowns against fundamental rights and the constitution.

Pakistani X users are using the platform with a Virtual Private Network (VPN), while thousands are still unable to access the site.