Ban on social media platform ‘X’: LHC seeks report from Ministry, PTA

LAHORE: A full bench of the Lahore High Court on Friday sought a detailed report from the interior ministry and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) till March 20 on the petitions challenging the ban on social media platform ‘X’.

The bench headed by Chief Justice Aalia Neelum also summoned a responsible official from the PTA along with relevant records at the next hearing.

The bench further directed the respondents to clarify which government institutions were still using X despite a ban and provide details about its legal status in Pakistan.

A member of the bench, questioned who was responsible if X was still accessible despite being blocked in the country.

The PTA’s counsel informed the bench that users access X via VPN (Virtual Private Network).

The petitioners stated that the government imposed restrictions on social media and blocked access to platform X. They argued that the access to information was a fundamental right of every citizen and that such restrictions violate Articles 19 and 19-A of the Constitution.

The petitioners asked the court to declare all government notifications regarding these bans as null and void and direct the government to lift all restrictions on social media platform X.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025