KARACHI: Access to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) can be restored if it is willing to address compliance issues, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has said.

Access to X has been disrupted in many areas of the country since February 17.

In an interview with Voice of America, Mr Tarar said that in his opinion, the ban on X should be removed forthwith.

“If some compliance issues can be improved, if we can sit down and talk to X, if they come closer to our terms and we move closer to their position, a mechanism can be devi­sed to take things forward and solve the issue in an amicable manner,” he said.

In March this year, the interior ministry formally informed the Sindh High Court that the social media platform was blocked in February on reports from intelligence agencies, according to Dawn.com.

In July, Mr Tarar told a Senate panel that X had been banned by the caretaker government over “compliance issues”, while in August, Punjab Infor­mation Minister Azma Bokhari said the government may lift the ban on X if social media rules and regulations were framed.

Speaking to VOA, Mr Tarar said that the matter was sub judice and the interior ministry had already filed its reply in the court in this regard. He said the ministry, being the one that has to enforce the law, is a better judge of how to proceed when the social media platform becomes a source of unlawful activities.

“Separatists and terrorists were using the platform against Pakistan, which could not be allowed,” he added.

He said terrorists belon­ging to the “so-called” Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) were using the platform to promote their anti-state activities. “They even show their activities live on X without any check.”

“As Pakistanis, we can request the management of X to remove anti-state content uploaded by terrorists,” he said.

“There must be some system to regulate social media. A web management system was already in place,” he said, adding that there was no harm in ensuring cyber and data security through it.

He was of the opinion that a Digital Rights Protection Authority-type institution was needed where people could file complaints for redressal.

A draft for the Digital Rights Protection Authority had been taken up by the federal cabinet, but it was deferred, he added.

The cabinet, he said, issued directives for taking suggestions from all stakeholders, including media houses, journalist organisations and political parties, so that effective legislation could be carried out for future implementation.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2024