In a significant development, the Sindh High Court has directed Pakistan’s Interior Ministry to retract its closure notice targeting social media platform X, commonly known as Twitter. The court emphasized the immediate withdrawal of the notice within a week, warning of further intervention if not complied with.
This comes amidst an ongoing tussle between the government and platform X. The Islamabad High Court is also hearing a separate petition challenging the platform’s potential shutdown. While the Interior Ministry argues the petitioner hasn’t been deprived of any rights, the Sindh High Court has set a stricter deadline of May 9th for the Ministry to justify its actions against X.
The crux of the issue lies in X’s alleged non-compliance with Pakistani regulations. The Interior Ministry claims the platform hasn’t responded to requests from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and isn’t registered in Pakistan under Pakistani laws. This lack of cooperation, they argue, necessitates regulatory measures like temporary closure.
The Sindh High Court’s ruling throws a wrench into the government’s plans and could pave the way for continued operation of X in Pakistan. Whether the Islamabad High Court follows suit or the government manages to justify its stance within the given timeframe remains to be seen.
Also, see:
Pakistan Court Orders Revival of Social Media Platform X
