The Islamabad High Court has called upon the appropriate official from the Ministry of Interior to appear on April 3 regarding a petition concerning the shutdown of platform X.
Chief Justice Amir Farooq emphasized that X serves as a platform for expressing opinions and can only be banned under legal provisions. He stressed the necessity for genuine reasons, especially concerning matters of state or national security.
During the hearing of a citizen’s petition against the closure of social media platform X, Chief Justice Aamir Farooq presided over the proceedings. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) submitted a written response to the court, with the PTA’s lawyer presenting a sealed envelope containing a letter meant for the court’s review.
Upon reading the letter, the Chief Justice found it inconclusive and instructed that it be shared with the petitioner’s lawyer. The petitioner’s lawyer pointed out that the letter was already circulating on social media. The PTA’s lawyer defended the ban on X, citing compliance with the letter’s directives, which allegedly necessitated the platform’s closure, and deferred responsibility to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Chief Justice Farooq noted that the petition represents numerous Twitter users and acknowledged the varied content on such platforms, including critical discourse on the judiciary, highlighting societal changes over the past few decades.
The High Court postponed further proceedings and summoned an authorized officer from the Ministry of Interior for the hearing scheduled on April 3rd.
