In a hearing before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday, the Ministry of Interior highlighted the perceived national security threat posed by internet content. The joint secretary of the Interior Ministry made these remarks during proceedings related to journalist Ehtesham Abbasi’s petition challenging the suspension of X, formerly known as Twitter.
X, a vital platform for information dissemination, has remained inaccessible to millions of users in Pakistan for over a month since its suspension on February 17.
During the recent court session presided over by IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, the Interior Ministry’s joint secretary presented a report, addressing the concerns raised in the plea.
The court instructed the joint secretary to provide written documentation detailing the specific national security threat, rather than solely relying on verbal assertions during the hearing.
The Chief Justice commented that his secretary could produce a more comprehensive report than the one presented. In response, the joint secretary directed the IHC Chief Justice to another section of the document.
Subsequently, the Chief Justice inquired whether this was the joint secretary’s inaugural appearance before the court.
