Pakistan seems to be on a slippery slope this year as the country continues to show dismal performance in international rankings. First it was the Corruption Perceptions Index, then the Global Gender Gap Index, and now Pakistan has managed to dropped down to the 90th ranking, out of 120, on the Inclusive Internet Index — […]
Pakistan ranks the lowest among South Asian countries in terms of access to the internet, as measured by the Economist’s Intelligence Unit. The report on internet usage among 120 countries puts Pakistan at 90th place, well behind India which occupies the 49th position followed by Sri Lanka at 77th. Even Iran, recognized as a closed […]
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said on Wednesday that social media was the major weapon used in the past few days with an aim to destroy peace in Pakistan. Addressing a presser in context of the agreement signed between the government and Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), he said the interior ministry held a […]
Pakistani social media circles continue to bear witness to an influx of fake accounts. Among a recent trend is a rise of Twitter handles posing as foreigners, often upholding claims that bear uncanny resemblance to the state’s narrative. Recently a foreign female blogger tweeted: “No one in the world respects women as much as Pakistani […]
ON Friday, Pakistan blocked all popular social media and internet messaging applications including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, and WhatsApp for four hours across the country to “maintain public order” in anticipation of protests by the recently banned TLP. Such blocking undermines fundamental rights, impacts an already fragile economy, defies logic of security, and punishes citizens […]
FOR four hours this week, all social media platforms in the country were shut down, a measure the government said was necessary ahead of the clampdown on violent TLP supporters on Friday. Successive governments have blocked mobile networks and platforms such as TikTok, Facebook and YouTube on separate occasions in the past, but this blanket […]
ISLAMABAD: The social media sites were blocked in extreme circumstances and every effort will be made to prevent a shutdown in future, Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry said. The newly-appointed information minister also regretted the blockage of social media sites across the country from 11am to 3pm on Friday. He also promised that he […]
KARACHI: Sindh police’s Counter-Terrorism Department on Friday initiated action against social media accounts allegedly maintained by supporters and workers of the recently banned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan, according to CTD Sindh chief Omar Shahid Hamid. “The CTD has initiated action against individuals who used social media to incite violence, spread hate and glorified the assaults on law […]
ISLAMABAD: Access to social media networks remained blocked for hours on Friday after the government imposed a blanket ban as part of its security plan to maintain law and order across the country and prevent violent protests in the wake of its decision to ban the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) along with a clampdown on its […]
In a surprising move, social media platforms have been blocked for a few hours in the country, local media reported on Friday. As per the Interior Ministry, the decision has been taken to maintain the law and order in the country following violent protests by a banned religious party. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has […]
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) has approached the top management of micro blogging platform Twitter at its regional headquarter Singapore for extending warning to immediately block/remove malicious trends and tweets vilifying superior judiciary of the country. “Twitter has particularly been informed that presence of such content and trends do not come under the definition of […]
Social media rules have been in the news lately with increasing frequency. On April 2, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) sought the report of the inter-ministerial committee that was tasked to examine the rules. The IHC was hearing the petitions filed against the implementation of ‘Removal and blocking of unlawful online content (Procedure, oversight and […]
AT last, Attorney General Khalid Jawed Khan’s assurance to the Islamabad High Court in January, that the government is prepared to review the controversial Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Procedure, Oversight and Safeguards) Rules, 2020, has been fulfilled — in part. An inter-ministerial committee has been formed following the AG’s recommendation to the […]
PESHAWAR: Advisor to Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Science and Information Technology Zia Ullah Bangash and Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser have requested Facebook to initiate monetization for Pakistan. A statement said Asad Qaiser and Ziaullah Bangash held a video link meeting with Facebook’s Sarim Aziz, Head of Public Policy South Asia, and Sehar Tariq, […]
