The Pakistani government has successfully blocked X, formerly known as Twitter, for more than four months. Now, it is planning to impose a six-day ban on all social media platforms, including YouTube, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, from July 13 to July 18. The reason given is that “hate material” must be managed during the Islamic month of Ramadan.
A Punjab government notification released late Thursday night stated that the cabinet committee on law and order, led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, has recommended banning all social media platforms—including YouTube, X, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok—during the period of 6 to 11 Muharram (July 13–18) in Punjab, a province with over 120 million people. The purpose of this ban is to “control hate material, misinformation to avoid sectarian violence”.
Maryam Nawaz’s Punjab administration has asked her uncle Shehbaz Sharif’s government at the Center to issue an announcement suspending all social media platforms on the internet for six days, from July 13 to 18.
Social media has already been branded as “vicious media” by Pakistan Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir, who has emphasized the need to combat “digital terrorism”.
Ishaq Dar, the foreign minister and deputy prime minister of Pakistan, recently advocated for outright banning social media.
