Pakistan’s Interior Ministry terms X as threat to national security, refuses to restore
The interior ministry on Monday termed X, formerly known as Twitter, a threat to national security and refused to allow its reintroduction. The ministry announced its stand in a reply to the Sindh High Court, which is currently hearing a case seeking closure of X in Pakistan. The interior ministry described social media platform X as a threat to national security and said its restriction does not violate Article 19 of the Constitution. The ministry reiterated that reintroduction of X is not possible at this time. The ministry said the restriction on X was implemented based on intelligence reports and cited the intention of certain elements to destabilise the country through X. It was stressed that the ministry’s primary responsibility is to protect the rights of Pakistani citizens. The ministry clarified that all legal procedures were followed before imposing the restrictions. The interior ministry, in its response, also clarified that X has not signed any formal memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Pakistan. It reiterated that the decision to restrict X was necessary to uphold domestic laws and stressed that the step was taken in the interest of national security and dignity. Citing global practices, the interior ministry noted that many countries have imposed restrictions on social media platforms. It was emphasised that there was no viable solution other than suspending X. The ministry further told the court that as a foreign company, X had been repeatedly warned to comply with Pakistani laws. It said: On February 17, the Ministry of Interior issued directions to close X in Pakistan with immediate effect.