Following a brief period of recovery yesterday, X, previously known as Twitter, has once again been suspended for the fourth consecutive day. Users are encountering difficulties accessing the social media platform and its associated app.
Twitter’s service outage in Pakistan commenced on February 17, coinciding with the announcement of surrender by Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaqat Ali Chattha to the police.
This development followed his admission of involvement in rigging the recent general elections, wherein he confessed to altering tens of thousands of votes overnight, resulting in the reversal of fortunes for numerous candidates. Chattha claimed personal oversight of the modification of 70,000 votes.
As previously mentioned, the suspension of X has now extended into its fourth day in Pakistan, constituting the longest outage ever experienced in the country. Downdetector, a website outage tracking service, once again indicates numerous disruption reports from across the nation. Users are unable to load their feeds or access any content on their X accounts.
Also Read: Reasons and Consequences of X Shutdown in Pakistan
The decision to suspend X has prompted inquiries into its underlying rationale, with speculation swirling about potential political motives. Simultaneously, concerns have emerged regarding the suspension’s implications for freedom of expression and access to information within the country.
While the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) plays a pivotal role in regulating telecommunications and digital services, it has opted to remain neutral on the matter. PTA sources have clarified that the authority was not involved in the decision to suspend X in Pakistan.
Responsibility for the suspension has been attributed to the Ministry of Interior, which holds jurisdiction over national security and digital regulations. However, the Ministry has yet to furnish detailed explanations or justifications for the ban, leaving users and stakeholders clamoring for clarity on the issue.