The government is constantly attacking freedom of expression in Pakistan. Twitter i.e. X has been banned for more than four months.
Now Shahbaz Sharif’s government has decided to ban all social media platforms (YouTube, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok) for six days from 13 to 18 July. The government fears that hate-mongering material may be spread on social media during Ramadan.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s Cabinet Committee on Law and Order has recommended a ban on all social media platforms in Punjab province during July 13-18, according to a Punjab government notification issued in Lahore late Thursday night.
Maryam Nawaz’s Punjab government has requested her uncle Shahbaz Sharif’s government at the Centre to issue a notification suspending all social media platforms on the Internet for six days (July 13-18).
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Let us tell you that Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir has already declared social media as evil media. He has termed social media platforms as digital terrorism. He has stressed the need to fight it. At the same time, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar had recently called for a complete ban on social media.
The Shahbaz government shut down X last February after allegations of altering the results of the general elections by the Election Commission of Pakistan. Both the army and the government were facing strong backlash on social media since the removal of former Prime MinisterImran Khanthrough a no-confidence motion in April 2022. The government has since arrested dozens of social media activists of Imran Khan’s party.
