Mohsin Naqvi calls for review of social media laws amid X disruption

LAHORE: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Tuesday called for a review of laws governing social media to curtail ‘its misuse’ amid nationwide disruption of X, formerly Twitter, ARY News reported.

The services of popular social media platform X, formerly Twitter, remained suspended throughout Pakistan since February 17 despite the order of the Sindh High Court.

Speaking to journalists in Lahore, the interior minister cited an example of how the United States (US) House passed a bill to ban TikTok – a video-sharing platform.

“In a country like the US where TikTok is getting banned, we will also need to review our social media laws besides making sure that there is ‘no ban’ on the freedom of expression,” Mohsin Naqvi added.

He emphasised that the misuse of social media which results in smear campaigns against politicians, judiciary, and other national institutions “needs to be kept in check”.

Two days earlier, Amnesty International demanded the immediate restoration of the social media platform ‘X’ from the government of Pakistan.

Amnesty, along with thirty-one civil society organizations, signed a joint statement urging Pakistani authorities to restore access to X platform.

The statement stated that such actions not only violate fundamental rights such as freedom of expression and access to information but also seek to suppress genuine political discourse, including various voices within the country.

Amnesty has called on the Pakistani government to work transparently on such decisions affecting the free use of the internet.