IHC has directed to block Twitter if it doesn't comply to govt requests: PTA

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) chairman has said the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ordered that Twitter be blocked in the country if the micro-blogging website does not comply with the government’s requests within 15 days.

“The court has ordered to block Twitter within 15 days if it doesn’t comply with government’s requests,” the PTA chairman said while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat on Wednesday.

Stating that PTA and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) have wide authorities, the chairman said, “We have called for a special system which can trace social media users.”

“An inquiry is being conducted against social media users who run fake accounts or spread false news,” he added.

He further informed the committee that focal persons had been appointed to monitor the various social media websites.

PTA officials upheld that there are 30.5 million Facebook users in the country and that “in the last six years, 825,000 websites have been blocked of which 4,799 were anti-state, 3,719 anti-judiciary and 31,963 were anti-religion.”

The social media control act is being implemented and anyone violating cyber laws can face three years in imprisonment and/or Rs10 million fine, the officials added.

“Law enforcement agencies, including FIA, are cooperating in this regard,” they continued.

The Senate Standing Committee formed a committee comprising officials of FIA, Ministry of Law, Ministry of Information and Technology and Cybercrime Cell.

The committee has been tasked to review and examine laws and put forward their proposals to make social media people friendly.