NEW YORK: Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting, National Heritage and Culture Attaullah Tarar said on Friday that the ban on X, formerly Twitter, was imposed due to national security concerns and not restrictions on freedom of expression. In an interview with VOA, the minister dispelled the impression that it was an unannounced ban, saying the caretaker government had banned X before the February election due to compliance issues. “Separatists and terrorists” were using the platform against Pakistan, which was not allowed, he added. Tarar said terrorists belonging to the so-called Balochistan Liberation Army are using the platform to promote their anti-state activities. Even terrorists showed their terrorist activities live on X without any check, he added. The minister said that the matter of the X ban had been submitted to the court and the Ministry of the Interior had already submitted its response to the court in this regard. “As Pakistanis, we can request the management of X to remove the anti-state content uploaded by terrorists,” he stressed. Terrorists, he added, were misusing social media platforms, which was completely unwarranted. “There needs to be some system of social media regulation. A site management system has already been put in place,” he said, adding that there is no harm in ensuring cyber and data security through it. He believed there was a need for an institution like the Digital Rights Protection Authority where people could file complaints for redress. The proposal for a Digital Rights Protection Authority was taken up by the federal cabinet but was shelved, he added. The Cabinet, he said, issued directives to receive suggestions from all stakeholders including media houses, journalist organizations including Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists and political parties so that effective legislation can be enacted for future implementation. He said that as a political operative, he believes the X ban should be lifted, and that would be possible if his leadership improved compliance issues.
