Claim: Ataullah Tarar stated in a press conference that the social media platform X is not blocked in Pakistan.
Fact: Contrary to Tarar’s claim, evidence suggests that X has been restricted in Pakistan since 17 February 2024.
On 13 March 2024, Federal Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ataullah Tarar held a press conference to claim that the social media platform X is not blocked in Pakistan.
A video clip of this segment of the press conference went viral on social media.
Fact or Fiction?
Evidence from news reports, civil society organisations, judicial proceedings, and internet monitoring data conclusively shows that X has been restricted in Pakistan since 17 February 2024, rendering Ataullah Tarar’s claim false.
Since 19 February 2024, news outlets such as Dawn News, The Express Tribune, The Diplomat, Al Jazeera, AP, and Arab News have consistently reported on the blockage of X.
According to Al Jazeera, NetBlocks, an organisation that monitors accessibility issues on the internet, confirmed the “national-scale disruption” of X as early as 17 February 2024.
On 13 March 2024, 25 civil society organisations, including prominent groups like Human Rights Watch, Bolo Bhi, Media Matters for Democracy, Digital Rights Foundation, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and Reporters without Borders, issued a joint statement condemning the ongoing shutdown of X, which directly contradicts Tarar’s statement.
The Sindh High Court’s order on 21 February 2024, directing the PTA to restore access to X, and the Islamabad High Court’s notices to the PTA and the Ministry of Information issued on 5 March 2024 further serve as judicial acknowledgment of the blockage.
Organisations like the Open Observatory for Network Interruptions (OONI) and Netblocks, which monitor internet disruptions and blockages around the world, have provided real-time data here (archive) and here (archive), showing the disruption of X.
Here, we can see data from OONI’s website from 13 March 2024. This data further substantiates reports of X’s disruption in the country.
Days after claiming that X was accessible, Tarar himself admitted in an interview on 18 March 2024 that the platform was already banned when he assumed his position as Information Minister, adding that no official notification had come to light.
There has also been a surge in the use of VPNs in Pakistan in order to access X. Top10VPN, an independent VPN review website, reported that demand for VPN services in Pakistan rose 131% on 18 February 2024. The Forbes article linked above further notes that Surfshark, another provider in Pakistan, reported a 300 to 400% climb in its new user acquisition rates in the country when compared to the previous month, “indicating a growing dependence on these services for internet access and privacy.”
Virality
The claim made by Tarar gained significant attention on social media platforms, with the video of the press conference receiving over 350,000 views on X and thousands more across Facebook and YouTube.
On Facebook, it was posted by ARY News’s official account where it received more than 50,000 views.
Conclusion: Evidence from media reports, civil society organisations, judicial proceedings, and internet monitoring data conclusively shows that X has been restricted in Pakistan since 17 February 2024, rendering Ataullah Tarar’s claim false.
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Background image in cover photo: ProPakistani
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