After successfully blocking X (Twitter) for over four months, the Pakistan government is now set to ban all social media platforms such as YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook for six days citing the need to control hate material during the Islamic month of Ramadan.
Chief Minister of Punjab Province, Maryam Nawaz and her cabinet committee on law and order has recommended banning of all social media platforms, YouTube, X, WhatsApp, Instagram and TikTok among others during 6-11 (Muharram) from July 13 to July 18, 2024, in her province having a population of over 120 million to control hate material, misinformation to avoid sectarian violence, according to Punjab government notification issued here late on July 4, 2024.
The Punjab government of Maryam Nawaz has requested her uncle Shahbaz Sharif’s government at the Centre to notify the suspension of all social media platforms on the internet for six days. Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir has already social media, a “vicious media” and underscored the need to fight what he called digital terrorism. Pakistan’s Deputy PM Ishaq Dar who also holds the portfolio of foreign minister recently called for placing a complete ban on social media.
The Shahbaz Sharif government had shut down X in February following allegations of change of general election results by the Election Commissioner of Pakistan (ECP) apparently on the order of the military establishment to stop Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) jailed founder Imran Khan from coming to power. Both the government and the military were receiving backlash on social media since the ouster of former PM Imran Khan through a no-confidence motion in April 2022. The government has arrested dozens of social media activists of Khan’s party since then.
Muharram, the period of recalling and mourning the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain by the Shia Muslim communities, marks the first month of the Islamic Calendar. A great amount of importance is placed on the first ten days of the festival and on the tenth day, Shia Muslims take out processions via streets.
Cabinet Minister Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani acknowledged that the cabinet committee had put forward a suggestion to close social media apps to avoid dissemination of hate content. Kirmani said a meeting over the issue discussed that hate content increases manifolds on social media apps, particularly Facebook and X during Muharram, which eventually becomes a bone of contention between two sects instead of the two persons involved.
Dissemination of hate content creates bad blood and spoils the overall environment, particularly during Muharram, he said and added that shutting down social media apps was recommended before, during and a day after Muharram.
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