Daily Times

The ongoing disruption of social media platform X in Pakistan has, for the million and one time, raised concerns about the freedom of expression and access to information in the country.

The causes of the disruption remain unclear, but many account it to be related to allegations of rigging in the February 8 general elections. This is not the first time that Pakistan has encountered outages of various social media sites, especially during times of political unrest. The disruption has significant implications for the country’s communication and information-sharing capabilities, as well as for the broader social and political landscape.

With millions of users relying on social media platforms for news and information, widespread frustration and confusion can be seen. The inability to access X has also hindered the ability of journalists and media outlets to report on events in real-time, leading to concerns about censorship. Because these pages have repeatedly reiterated the importance of maintaining open and accessible communication channels, particularly in difficult times, we, at Daily Times, would once again appeal to the authorities to ensure the application is up and running at the earliest.

As digital rights activists and cybersecurity experts condemned the shutdown as a violation of freedom of expression and access to information, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has chosen to remain tight-lipped on the issue. No explanation has been given by the usually vocal caretaker IT Minister, who is quite intriguingly using a VPN service to continue his use of the microblogging website. While the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the government and the public will respond to this ongoing disruption in Pakistan. But one thing is certain: the masses deserve to know details about whatsoever caused this outage. *