As the country is facing the continued disruption of the social media platform X in Pakistan for over a fortnight now, a resolution was moved in the Senate seeking a permanent ban on all social media due to its negative impact on the younger generation.
The resolution was moved by Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi who has been expelled by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) for moving another controversial resolution in the upper house that irked the party’s leadership.
The resolution, set for discussion in the upcoming session on Monday (March 4), alleged that these platforms were negatively influencing the country’s youth, promoting norms contrary to religion and culture, and fostering hatred based on language and religion.
Senator Tangi is set to retire on March 11. His resolution expresses concern about the use of social media platforms for “negative and malicious propaganda against the armed forces of Pakistan” and calls for a ban on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
Interestingly, the X website has faced disruptions since February 17, with former commissioner Rawalpindi Liaquat Ali Chatta’s claims of election rigging potentially linked to the outage.
Users have resorted to using VPNs to access the platform, with some mocking authorities, including caretaker IT Minister Umar Saif, for doing the same. However, responsibility for restricting X’s services remains unclaimed, raising concerns among activists.
Digital rights activist Nighat Dad, a member of the UN Secretary General’s advisory board on AI, criticized the move, stating that such a blanket ban on platforms without accountability is a violation of fundamental rights.
Dad emphasized the potential damage to the country’s global reputation, especially in terms of attracting investments.
Rumors of a possible ban on VPNs have alarmed the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA), expressing concerns about the severe economic consequences and potential damage to Pakistan’s growing reputation as a tech and innovation hub.
P@SHA argued that a VPN ban could disrupt business operations, hinder growth for companies relying on dynamic IPs, and pose financial risks to the banking sector, particularly in managing international transactions.
In response, P@SHA called for a collaborative approach with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), advocating for the formation of a joint working group.
