The Sindh High Court (SHC) has instructed the federal government and the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) to reinstate the services of social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), across Pakistan.
The directive was issued by an SHC bench led by Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi in response to a petition challenging the "unconstitutional" internet shutdowns experienced across the country recently. Additionally, the court has summoned a report from the PTA regarding the suspension of internet services on election day and has issued a notice to the federal government.
Social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, has remained inaccessible to users in Pakistan since internet watchdog groups reported outages starting Saturday. NetBlocks, an organization monitoring internet accessibility, confirmed a "national-scale disruption" affecting X in Pakistan following widespread protests spurred by alleged vote rigging in the general elections.
In the 2024 general elections, independent candidates backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secured a lead over mainstream political parties, particularly in the National and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assemblies. As per announced results, PTI-backed independents won 92 seats, followed by PML-N with 79 seats and PPP with 54 seats. Other parties winning seats include MQM-P, JUI-F, PML-Q, IPP, and BNP.
Following the elections, PML-N and PPP formed committees to negotiate terms for the next federal government. Both parties reached an agreement on a "power-sharing formula" for government formation in the Centre. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari announced the coalition government, stating that PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif would be the prime minister. He expressed hopes for addressing Pakistan's challenges successfully.
