The Pakistani Information Minister, Attaullah Tarar, has finally acknowledged the existence of a ban on X, a social media platform, which was imposed by authorities when the new government came into power. Tarar admitted during an interview that there was no official notification for the ban. The ban was initiated on February 17 after accusations of vote rigging in the February 8 general elections by former Rawalpindi commissioner Liaquat Chattha against the chief election commissioner and chief justice of Pakistan.
Initially, Tarar had denied the ban on X, claiming it was still operational in Pakistan. However, he later contradicted himself, stating that while there was no official notification for the ban, the platform’s signal and frequency were disrupted, and it was being accessed through VPN.
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Tarar emphasized the need for “red lines” in online discourse, suggesting that political parties should discuss issues such as misogynistic abuse and mocking of martyrs. He also mentioned the importance of press freedom in Pakistan, expressing his commitment to upholding freedom of expression and journalism.
Regarding the Punjab government’s plans to introduce a law to address “fake news,” Tarar suggested that it would be preferable for political parties to address such matters internally rather than involving the state.
