The US call comes amid the blockade of X in Pakistan; The global body of mobile operators expresses concern about Internet restrictions
- X has been blocked in Pakistan since Saturday last week.
- The United States conveys its position to Islamabad through official channels.
- GSMA says Election Day internet restrictions violate rights.
WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD: The United States on Wednesday called on Islamabad to “respect freedom of expression and restore access to any social media platform,” including X, formerly known as Twitter.
“That is why we are concerned by any reports of restrictions on the exercise of freedom of expression and association in Pakistan, including partial or complete shutdowns of the Internet imposed by the government, including, of course, social media platforms. “We continue to call on Pakistan to respect freedom of expression and restore access to any social media that has been restricted, including Twitter, I believe it is now known as press when asked about interruptions in social networks in Pakistan.
The spokesperson said Washington has and will continue to “emphasize the importance of respecting these fundamental freedoms during our engagements with Pakistani officials.” He also shared that Washington had communicated his position to Islamabad through official channels.
Global body of mobile operators concerned about Internet restrictions in Pakistan
GSMA, a global organization that unifies the mobile ecosystem, has expressed concern over restrictions on internet connectivity and services in Pakistan on election day and termed it a violation of human rights and freedom of expression, reported News Thursday.
A GSMA representative approached Acting IT Minister Umar Saif to express the organisation's concerns regarding the restrictions imposed on internet connectivity and services in Pakistan in the run-up to the 2024 general elections, on election day itself, and the subsequent ongoing decline in quality of service.
According to the publication, the international organization stated that these restrictions violated people's rights, as described in international human rights conventions.
“Prolonged restrictions can also have far-reaching negative effects on the health, education, social and economic well-being of citizens and damage trust. In addition to the damage imposed on businesses, restrictions can disrupt credit and investment plans and ultimately damage the country's reputation for managing the economy and foreign investment.
The GSMA advises against the use of service restriction orders. Any such order must be supported by continuous monitoring of the situation and its impact, along with analysis and dynamic decision-making processes that allow for rapid restoration of services. Powers to restrict services should be carefully exercised only in exceptional and predefined circumstances, which are consistent with relevant laws, internationally recognized human rights conventions and the ITU constitution.”
Internet shutdown and restrictions in Pakistan
Although it boasts of being among the largest population of internet users globally, Pakistan struggles with internet availability, ranking low compared to its peers, while authorities reportedly intermittently cut off access to social media platforms.
Internet blackouts directly contradict constitutionally guaranteed rights such as freedom of information (Article 19-A), freedom of expression (Article 19) and freedom of association (Article 17). In its ruling in February 2018, the Islamabad High Court declared that internet shutdowns were against fundamental rights and the Constitution.
Ahead of the February 8 general elections, users were unable to access several social media sites, which authorities concerned attributed to an error. However, on election day, according to the interim government, cell phone signals were turned off to prevent terrorism. Following the requested surveys, there were repeated interruptions in access to X.
Services of popular social media platform X, formerly Twitter, remained largely restricted in Pakistan for more than four days since Saturday, according to NetBlocks, a global internet monitor.
The government continues to remain silent about the disruptions that began on Saturday last week.
