ISLAMABAD: Senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafique has called for the removal of the ban on X (formerly known as Twitter). In a statement shared on social media, Rafique pointed out that although the platform has been banned for a year, users continue to access it via VPNs.
He criticized the ban as ineffective, noting that it has not stopped people from using X, and urged the government to lift the restriction.
X (formerly Twitter) was blocked in Pakistan in February 2024, about ten days after the general elections on February 8, under the caretaker government. The ban was imposed citing national security concerns rather than limiting freedom of expression. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar later explained that the decision was based on intelligence reports, particularly due to concerns over anti-state activities by separatist groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) using the platform to promote terrorism.
Despite the ban, reports indicate that there are still approximately 4.5 million users of X in Pakistan, with access largely through VPNs.
