The Lahore High Court (LHC) has summoned the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan in petitions filed against the continuing suspension of social media platform X, according to a report by Dawn.com.
The petitions, which have been filed by journalist Shakir Mahmood and several others, have picked up steam in the LHC, with the judges coming down hard on government representatives over lack of justifiable responses.
In a hearing held on Tuesday, a three-member bench — headed by Justice Aalia Neelum, Justice Farooq Haider, and Justice Ali Zia Bajwa — questioned the legality of the notification banning X, which was issued by the Ministry of Interior to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).
The complainants’ counsel Advocate Azhar Siddiqui pointed out that the government had not produced the list of officials who have been using X despite the nationwide ban. In response to this, Additional Attorney General (AAG) Mirza Nasar Ahmed said it was not possible to provide the list sought by the court. Advocate Siddiqui further questioned on what basis the telecom regulator has blocked access to X.
“The AGP should appear before the court prepared and shed light on all legal matters,” Justice Neelum said. The next hearing will take place on April 17, 2025.
In the previous hearing, Justice Neelam remarked that the government was being given the “final chance” to explain the blockage of X, after which the court would summon the head of the cabinet. The court also chided the PTA chairman for the authority’s use of X despite banning it.
Earlier, Justice Neelam raised questions about government bodies that were using X amid the ban. “It should be revealed which government institutions are using X despite the ban,” she had remarked. “It should also be told whether the status of X is legal or illegal.”
X was blocked over a week after the general elections were held, following former Rawalpindi commissioner Liaquat Chattha’s accusations of rigging against the chief election commissioner and a Supreme Court (SC) judge.
After months of silence, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) disclosed that the platform had been banned on the interior ministry’s orders, which cited unspecified threats to national security.
Many government officials and ministries, however, have been using X via virtual private networks (VPNs) despite deeming the platform detrimental to national security. The suspension of X has been roundly condemned by civil society, journalists, and regular users, who have repeatedly urged the government to restore the platform.
