The ban on X, formerly known as Twitter, would be lifted anytime the government requests it, according to Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Hafeezur Rehman’s statement on Thursday.
Rehman spoke during an Islamabad meeting of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, which was presided over by Rana Mahmoodul Hasan.
Since February 17, the social networking site has been inactive in Pakistan owing to worries about national security. Virtual private networks (VPNs) can be used to access it, though.
Following the prohibition, many petitions challenging the limitations on microblogging sites and the sporadic disruption of internet access nationwide were submitted to the Sindh High Court (SHC).
In its response to the SHC last month, the federal government defended the ban on X, claiming that it was a “legitimate” measure to address national security concerns.
Senator Abdul Qadir raised the issue during today’s Senate body meeting, inquiring as to the telecom regulator’s intentions to lift the website ban.
“We will [remove the ban on X] on the day that the state asks us,” said Rehman.
Rehman clarified that social media sites are only blocked at the government’s request. He continued by saying that they contact the platforms with any concerns regarding social media usage that transgresses Pakistani law.
In response to a question on VPN use in Pakistan, the PTA chairman stated that, despite VPN availability, X usage in Pakistan has dropped by 70%.
He said that just thirty percent of individuals use VPNs and that these might be stopped.
Additionally, he informed the members that only particular VPNs will be accessible in Pakistan once the PTA has finished whitelisting VPNs.
According to Rehman, 56% of individuals can access the internet. The 5G auction, he said, is probably going to take place in March or April of next year.
The PTA chairman said that there is currently no legislation addressing the question of whether content producers pay taxes on the money they get from foreign advertisements.
