Twitter (X) still down in Pakistan for 7th day, VPN also restricted

For the past seven days, Pakistanis have found themselves cut off from X, the popular social media platform previously known as Twitter. The blackout, which began last Saturday, has left countless users frustrated and without access to a vital tool for sharing information.

In a country where social media serves as a primary means of communication and information dissemination, the outage has had significant repercussions. Users who rely on X to swiftly share news, updates, and opinions have been left in the dark, unable to access the platform’s services.

What adds to the frustration is the silence from the authorities. Despite repeated inquiries and demands for clarification, both the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and the government have offered no explanation for the outage. This lack of transparency has only fueled speculation and uncertainty among the affected users.

The situation has also raised concerns about the right to access social media platforms freely. In Pakistan, as in many other countries, individuals have the fundamental right to use social media as a means of expression and communication. The prolonged outage of X goes against these principles and contradicts the country’s regulations regarding freedom of speech and access to information.

The matter has even reached the judicial sphere, with the Sindh High Court stepping in to address the issue. In a move to resolve the problem, the court directed the PTA to take immediate action. However, despite these directives, the problem persists, and users remain unable to access X.
 
The failure to resolve the Twitter outage highlights broader concerns about internet freedom and government censorship in Pakistan. It underscores the need for greater transparency from the authorities and reinforces the importance of upholding the rights of citizens to access information and express themselves freely online.

As the blackout continues unabated, Pakistanis are left waiting for answers and hoping for a swift resolution to restore their access to X and uphold their right to use social media without hindrance. Until then, the silence from the authorities speaks volumes about the challenges facing internet freedom in the country.

ePaper - Nawaiwaqt