SHC orders restoration of social media apps

CJ Abbasi seeks explanation for internet outage on election day

The Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered on Wednesday the restoration of all social media apps, including the micorblogging website ‘X’, and sought explanation from the relevant authorities regarding internet outage on the election day.

A two-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmad Abbasi, heard the petitions against the shutdown of internet services on the election day. The court expressed concern over the widespread shutdown of internet services during the crucial election period.

The lawyer for the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) informed the court that instructions from the interior ministry had to be implemented, adding that they received the instructions and implemented them.

The government lawyer argued that there were certain legal issues because of which such action had to be taken. The chief justice told the government side to fix the issues before things go out of hands. “You do your job better and we will do our job,” the chief justice remarked.

Amid political, economic and security challenges coupled with rigging allegations arising out of February 8 elections, the government restricted access to ‘X’ – formerly known as Twitter – in the country without giving any reasons.

Media watchdog the Freedom Network termed the internet outage an “undeclared censorship” and held the caretaker government responsible for “violating fundamental rights of citizens”. In a statement it demanded that the public access to the social networking platform must be restored immediately.

During the SHC proceedings, the chief justice highlighted the criticism and allegations of irregularities raised by national and international observers and media outlets. In sarcastic remarks, he addressed the authorities, saying: “You people conducted a very good election. Everyone in the world is hailing it.”

The chief justice further remarked, “You shut down the internet...you did not allow people to contest elections. You people did not allow anyone to run an election campaign,” suggesting that the internet shutdown might have hindered the democratic process.

The court ordered the restoration of all social media apps, including X. It also sought an explanation from the authorities concerned regarding the suspension of internet services on the election day and adjourned the hearing until March 5.

Meanwhile, services of social media platform X (formerly Twitter) have been disrupted for the fifth day today. The platform has been inaccessible since Saturday when former Rawalpindi commissioner Liaquat Chattha held a press conference and accused the chief election commissioner and chief justice of being involved in rigging the general elections.

As the proceedings commenced, Justice Abbasi quipped: “The way you held elections, everyone around the world witnessed it. Even the international media is telling the world how elections were held.”

Also read: X becomes govt's first target

He noted that the internet was not working “here, there or anywhere”, adding that the services were disrupted everywhere.

“Don’t do this, the public understands who is doing what,” the judge remarked. “Let the whistle of the pressure cooker blow lightly, the more you try to clamp it down the larger the explosion would be,” he warned.

“Who’s going to be president, who’s going to be prime minister, who will get governorship; if this had to happen, why were elections held?” Justice Abbasi asked.

Justice Abbasi said: “What was the need for the elections if positions were to be distributed sitting in a

drawing hall? You people are powerful and can do whatever you want to.”
He further lamented that the courts and all other institutions had lost their respect. “Who is running the country?” the judge asked.

For his part, the PTA counsel said the government had decided to shut down internet and cellular services on Feb 8 over security reservations submitted by provinces.

“A law and order situation in the country was prevented because of this decision,” he claimed, adding that the most important factor was national security.

However, Justice Abbasi said “a joke was made by shutting down the entire country” and highlighted that the Centre was putting the entire blame on provincial governments. He also noted that internet services should be shut down in select areas and not in the entire country if a law and order situation arises.