IT is hoped that better sense prevails and the prime minister turns down the Punjab government’s troubling suggestion calling for the gagging of social media apps during Muharram.

The provincial administration had earlier written to the interior ministry calling for a shutdown of various platforms — Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, X, etc — between Muharram 6 and 11 “to control hate … and to avoid sectarian violence”, citing the threat of “external forces” supposedly disseminating hate material.

Security concerns are absolutely valid during Muharram, which begins either tomorrow or on Monday, but mass shutdowns of the internet/social media are not the most advisable method of ensuring peace. This policy focuses more on the symptoms — hate material and misuse of social media — rather than the actual disease — the presence of violent hate groups that have been fanning the flames of communalism in society for decades.

The fact is that the proposed move can be used as a precedent by some elements within the state to permanently throttle free expression, and deny access to apps that have become part of life for millions of Pakistanis.

Shutting down apps can result in disrupting communication across the country, while businesses that depend on these platforms would face immense losses. Moreover, if the state starts deploying such unwise tactics, they can also be used, in future, to shut down apps when strikes, protests or rallies are called by parties or organisations that are not in the state’s good books. This has occurred in the past as social media apps have been shut down during PTI rallies post-May 9.

Instead of gagging social media, less intrusive and less draconian methods can be applied to maintain peace during sensitive periods, primarily through greater vigilance and monitoring. In this regard the Punjab government’s decision to have all majalis recorded and submitted to the relevant police station may help in monitoring controversial content, and prosecuting hatemongers of all persuasions. This will require considerable manpower as thousands of majalis are organised during the first 10 days of Muharram. But if Punjab’s rulers think they have the technology and manpower to pull off this feat, then they could help contain the spread of sectarian material. Since the police will have recordings of all speeches, any errant individuals can easily be traced and investigated.

The fact is that in most countries Muharram passes off without incident. But because significant chunks of society in Pakistan have been radicalised, and confessional differences exploited, things are different in this country. Shutting down the internet, phones and social media is not the way to ensure communal peace. Going after hatemongers and violent sectarian groups, as well as monitoring troublemakers from all confessional backgrounds, can be much more effective in keeping violence at bay.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2024