In a bid to curb the spread of “hate material” during Ramadan, the Pakistan government has announced a six-day ban on all social media platforms. This decision, set to take effect from July 13 to 18, follows a successful four-month block of X, formerly known as Twitter.
The cabinet committee on law and order, led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, recommended the suspension of YouTube, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other social media services. The move aims to prevent the dissemination of misinformation and sectarian violence during 6 to 11 Muharram (July 13-18) in Punjab, a province with a population exceeding 120 million. A notification from the Punjab government, issued late Thursday, confirmed this directive.
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Maryam Nawaz’s provincial administration has requested the federal government, under her uncle Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, to enforce the internet shutdown for these platforms during the specified period.
The Army Chief, General Asim Munir, has labeled social media as a “vicious media” and emphasized the need to combat “digital terrorism.” In line with this perspective, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who also serves as the foreign minister, recently advocated for a complete ban on social media.
Earlier this year, the Shehbaz government blocked X after allegations surfaced that the Election Commission of Pakistan manipulated general election results, allegedly under military orders to prevent Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s imprisoned founder, Imran Khan, from regaining power. Since Khan’s ousting via a no-confidence motion in April 2022, the military and government have faced significant social media backlash, resulting in the arrests of numerous social media activists affiliated with Khan’s party.
