A well-known journalist from Pakistan, Hamid Mir has raised serious concerns that despite a government ban imposed on social media platform X, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and senior ministers of the country reportedly continued to access the microblogging service using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
The journalist criticised Sharif’s government for what he perceived as inconsistency in the Pakistan government’s policy and its implications for the general public.
Sharing a video on X, Hamid Mir said, “Is it not a big violation of government policy by the government itself?”
In Pakistan, the government set a ban on X many months ago but why Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his senior ministers are using X through VPN continuously, Mir said.
To the people of the country, what kind of message is it, he questioned.
Recently, in Islamabad, during a hearing at the Sindh High Court, the Pakistani authorities underscored that the decision to ban X adheres to the legal framework of Pakistan.
This comes in reaction to a case challenging the ban, highlighting continuous debates on censorship, freedom of expression, and digital rights in Pakistan.
On various social media platforms, Pakistan has a history of imposing bans or restrictions. Some lawmakers have cited security concerns for such bans.
It is pertinent to mention here that in June this year, an inquiry was initiated regarding the “misuse” of Imran Khan’s verified X account. The notice of FIA had said that the post (on X) was “likely to cause fear or alarm in the public”, Dawn reported.