LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday directed the attorney general of Pakistan to appear before the court in a petition challenging the ban on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) in person on April 17 and explain the legal basis of the notification imposing the ban on the social media platform.
Earlier, Additional Attorney General informed the bench headed by Chief Justice LHC that the PTA had already submitted its reply and report.
The Chief Justice stressed that the full bench wanted the attorney general to personally appear in the court and clarify the legal position of the ban on X.
The bench remarked that the delay in the proceedings was due to the non-appearance of the attorney general.
At the previous hearing, the bench had asked the government to show the exact provision in the rules that allows banning social media platforms.
The PTA chairman had stated that the blocking of social media platforms and websites had been ongoing in Pakistan since 2016. He pointed out that the Supreme Court had blocked YouTube for four years.
The petition filed through Azhar Siddique argued that the government unlawfully imposed restrictions on social media and blocked access to X. He said the access to information was a fundamental right of every citizen and that such restrictions violate Articles 19 and 19-A of the Constitution.
He asked the court to lift all restrictions on social media and declare all government notifications regarding these bans as illegal and unconstitutional.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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