IHC Issues Notices Over X Shutdown

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has taken notice of the prolonged closure of X, formerly Twitter, in Pakistan and issued notices to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and Ministry of Information.

The move came in response to a petition filed by a citizen regarding the outage lasting for over two weeks.

IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq presided over the hearing, questioning the status of X’s accessibility in Pakistan. The petitioner’s lawyer informed the court that X had been inaccessible in the country since February 17.

Justice Farooq also inquired about a similar case before the Sindh High Court (SHC), to which the lawyer revealed that the SHC would address a related petition regarding contempt of court on the same day.

The IHC Chief Justice decided to issue notices for the next week, seeking explanations from the concerned authorities.

This development follows SHC Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi’s order on February 21, directing the PTA to restore internet services immediately across the country.

The SHC’s directive came during a hearing on the shutdown of internet and social media platforms during the recent elections, citing concerns over internet restrictions on Election Day for the safety of voters.