The federal government, in its response submitted to the Sindh High Court (SHC) over the suspension of services of social media platform X, has said that the move does not violate Article 19 of the Constitution as all necessary legal prerequisites were satisfied in this regard. “While Article 19 enshrines fundamental right [of freedom of speech and expression] it is subject to reasonable restrictions imposed by law and in the interest of public order, morality and sovereignty and integrity of Pakistan,” read the Interior Ministry’s response submitted to the SHC on Monday. The government’s response comes as various petitions have been filed in the SHC against the prevailing ban on the social media site along with intermittent suspension of internet services in the country. The constitutional petitions were filed as social media users have found it difficult to access X as well as other social media platforms in recent months owing to the government’s decision to ban and limit access to them citing security concerns – a move often criticised by opposition parties and various segments of the society. Previously, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had told the SHC that it blocked social media platform X on February 8 across the country after receiving directions from the federal interior ministry. The ministry ordered the shutdown on the basis of reports it had received from intelligence agencies, said the PTA. The last hearing of the case was conducted on June 28. In its submission to the court, the interior ministry has argued that the decision to impose a ban on X is a “legitimate exercise of government’s authority to regulate the use of social media platforms” which is aimed at addressing genuine concerns related to national security and public safety. Stressing that hateful content targeting the country’s institutions is uploaded on social media, especially X, and since no memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed with the company so far, the government contended that it was left with no option but to impose a temporary ban on the social media platform. It also maintained that the ban was imposed on the report of security agencies. “Certain elements want to spread instability in the country via X.