In a significant development concerning the blockage of the Social Media Platform “X,” the Islamabad High Court has called upon the Interior Secretary to appear personally following the Eid festivities.
The court session ensued after a petition by Ehtsham Abbasi requesting a review of the ban on the aforementioned platform. Upon scrutiny of the Interior Ministry’s report during the hearing, the Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court expressed discontent with the presented information.
The Joint Secretary of the Interior Ministry was summoned to provide clarification.
During the proceedings, the Chief Justice scrutinized the Interior Ministry’s submission, demanding tangible evidence rather than verbal assurances. The Joint Secretary highlighted concerns regarding national security on the Internet, prompting the Chief Justice to emphasize the necessity for substantive arguments.
Expressing skepticism towards the quality of the report, the Chief Justice questioned the procedures followed in its compilation and raised doubts about its credibility. The Joint Secretary defended the closure of the platform, citing content deemed detrimental to national security.
In response, the Chief Justice insisted on concrete evidence to justify the ban, criticizing the reliance solely on security agency reports without supplementary reasoning. Consequently, the Interior Secretary was summoned to provide further clarification on the matter.
In a concluding remark, the Chief Justice underscored the importance of judicial review, expressing curiosity about potential future legal actions concerning the case. The court has deferred further deliberation on the X blockage issue until April 17th.
