ISLAMABAD – Users nationwide reported difficulties accessing the social media platform X on Monday, as per data from outage tracking site Downdetector.com.
It is important to note that X remains officially inaccessible in Pakistan.
According to Downdetector, 65 reports from Pakistani users regarding X were logged at 3:02 pm, with the number climbing to 109 by 9:32 pm. Reports of disrupted access emerged from cities like Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Karachi.
Simultaneously, the platform faced intermittent outages in the United States, affecting thousands of users. The number of outage reports surged to approximately 26,579 after a brief drop, peaking at 40,000 earlier in the day. In the UK, over 10,800 users also reported similar issues.
The cause of the outage was not immediately identified, and X did not respond to media inquiries for comments. Internet monitoring service NetBlocks confirmed at 7:17 pm that X was experiencing global outages, clarifying that the disruption was unrelated to any country-specific internet restrictions.
Pakistan marked a year since the ban on X in February, with officials suggesting the restriction is unlikely to be lifted soon. The platform, previously used by around 4.5 million people in the country, was blocked in February 2024 — roughly 10 days post-general elections — during the caretaker government’s tenure.
The shutdown followed a series of user posts alleging election rigging, which escalated after former Rawalpindi commissioner Liaquat Chattha accused key officials, including the Chief Election Commissioner and a former chief justice, of facilitating the malpractice.
More than a year later, there are no signs that the government intends to reverse the ban. A senior PML-N leader from Punjab stated that lifting the restriction depends on curbing the online criticism from the PTI’s social media supporters.
Despite the ban, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar refrained from providing a timeline for X’s restoration. Interestingly, government offices — including the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs — continue to share official statements on the restricted platform.
Civil society groups, rights activists, journalists, and individuals have consistently called for the immediate restoration of X. They urge the government to avoid arbitrary censorship, emphasizing that the ban violates Article 19 of the Constitution and contradicts Pakistan’s international commitments.
X banned as company fails to address Pakistan’s concerns, IHC told
