Pakistan temporarily blocks X over ‘national security’

Pakistan’s interior ministry said on Wednesday it ordered the temporary blockage of social media platform X in February on national security concerns, confirming a long-suspected shutdown.

Users have reported problems using X, formerly known as Twitter, in Pakistan since mid-February, but the government made no official announcements.

The interior ministry mentioned the shutdown in a written court submission on Wednesday.

“It is very pertinent to mention here that the failure of Twitter/X to adhere to the lawful directives of the government of Pakistan and address concerns regarding the misuse of its platform necessitated the imposition of a ban,” the report seen by Reuters said.

X did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.