The famous and most popularly used social media networking site, Twitter, has reportedly blocked the Pakistani Twitter account in Gilgit Baltistan and is showing the region as part of the Indian Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Dawn reported.
As per the Pakistani English language newspaper, even after the users turn on the location feature on their app, the tweets sent from the region are marked as originating from Jammu and Kashmir. This issue came to the forefront when several Twitter users from Gilgit Baltistan were unable to access the government’s official account.
When the users tried to access the account, a message was displayed stating that the “account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand.” The newspaper reported that the Pakistani officials denied the claims and termed them as baseless despite numerous people complaining.
A tweet made by Yasir Hussain, a resident of the Rahimabad area of Gilgit, said, “I am in Gilgit Baltistan, and Twitter cannot show tweets saying that the account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand. Hello, I am in Pakistan. Why can’t I see the tweets from various I follow, including the one which I mentioned?”
While talking to Dawn, Hussain said that when he tried to add the location to its tweets, he found that the app located him in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir rather than Gilgit Baltistan. He further stated that officials in Pakistan should take serious cognizance of this matter as India might have influenced Twitter to change the geo-tagging.
Another Twitter user, Karim Shah Nizari, also reported that he could not add Pakistan’s location to his tweets “The only option we are getting is Jammu and Kashmir.” He also told Dawn that he was based in the Yasin Valley of the Ghizer District, but the Twitter algorithm was showing him tweets from India on his feed.
The government of Gilgit Baltistan said those making the claims on social media should stop spreading fake news The users in the region said that the social media platform has disrespected the status of Gilgit Baltistan and called it an attack on the region’s identity, Dawn reported. According to the people residing in Gilgit-Baltistan, there is no freedom of speech, expression, internet, or media in the region.
A digital rights expert from Pakistan, Asad Baig, said that “there could be three things, a glitch in the matrix, improper geo markings in the cartographical and system that is being used or an intended action perhaps on the basis of the invalid Indian claim over Gilgit Baltistan as a backdoor lobbying.”
On the other hand, the Pakistani Telecommunication Authority in a statement later said that the matter was thoroughly investigated and no such problem exists.
“After detailed on-ground testing, it appears that any sporadic issues encountered are limited to iOS Devices, affecting a small number of users,” the PTA said and added that such incidents were insignificant and did not reflect a widespread problem.
As the situation unfolds, the people of Gilgit-Baltistan are calling for a swift resolution to the issue They demand transparency from both Twitter and Pakistani authorities regarding the alleged blocking of the government’s official account and the misrepresentation of the region.
It is essential for all stakeholders involved to address these concerns promptly and ensure that the identity and representation of Gilgit Baltistan are maintained on social media platforms.
This incident has brought attention to social media platforms’ responsibility to accurately represent geographical locations and respect the sovereignty of different regions. Twitter holds an important and significant influence in shaping public perceptions.
The inaccurate location display of Gilgit-Baltistan as a part of Jammu and Kashmir misinforms users and perpetuates potential political disputes between nations.
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