Mr. PM, why tweet on a banned platform? Geo News presenters ask

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published last year |  JP Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—Geo News anchors Huma Shah and Abdullah have expressed strong criticism over Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's decision to use the banned social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) to express his condolences for the victims of the recent terrorist attack in Karachi. During their morning show Geo Pakistan, the anchors questioned how the Prime Minister could access and use a platform banned for the rest of the country since February.

Shah and Abdullah raised concerns over the government’s selective use of the platform, pointing out that if the platform is banned for the general public, it should also be off-limits to government officials. “He could have used a press release, Facebook, or Instagram to express his thoughts, just like everyone else,” they argued. The anchors further questioned who the intended audience of the Prime Minister's tweet was, given that most Pakistanis are unable to access X.

In his tweet, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the terrorist attack that took place in Karachi, which claimed the lives of two Chinese nationals and injured another. He expressed his sorrow and promised swift justice for the perpetrators.

The criticism comes at a time when the Sindh High Court is hearing a case challenging the continued ban on X. The platform was originally banned in Pakistan due to concerns over national security and the potential to incite social unrest. However, the government’s continued use of X has been seen as hypocritical by critics, with many pointing out that while ordinary citizens are blocked from the platform, politicians and government officials remain active on it.

As the legal battle over the ban continues, many Pakistanis have found ways around it by using VPNs, while the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) faces increasing pressure to clarify its stance.