The Interior Ministry on Monday terminated the X service, formerly known as Twitter, as a threat to national security and refused to restore it.
The ministry revealed its position in its response to the Sindh High Court, which is currently hearing a case related to the closure of X in Pakistan.
The Ministry of Interior has classified social media platform X as a threat to national security, asserting that restricting it does not violate Article 19 of the Constitution. The ministry stressed that reinstating X is not possible at the present time.
The ministry said that the restrictions on X were implemented based on intelligence reports, indicating the intentions of some elements to destabilize the country through X. It stressed that the primary responsibility of the ministry is to protect the rights of Pakistani citizens.
The ministry explained that all legal procedures were followed before imposing restrictions on X, stressing that such measures do not violate freedom of expression guaranteed under Article 19, despite being subject to legal restrictions.
In its response, the Home Office also clarified that X had not entered into any formal agreements (MOU) with Pakistan. It reiterated that the decision to restrict X was necessary to uphold national laws, stressing that the action was taken in the interests of national security and dignity.
The Ministry of Interior pointed out, based on global practices, that many countries impose restrictions on social media platforms. It stressed that, except for the temporary suspension of X, there is no other viable solution.
Furthermore, the Ministry informed the court that X, as a foreign entity, had been repeatedly reminded to comply with Pakistani laws. It noted that X had been allowed to operate under assurances of compliance and implementation of memoranda of understanding.
On February 17, the Ministry of Interior issued directives for the immediate closure of X in Pakistan.
