Lahore High Court Hears Heated Arguments Over Pakistan’s “X” Ban in PTA Case

Lahore: The Lahore High Court (LHC) held a critical hearing on petitions challenging the ban on the social media platform ‘X’ (formerly Twitter). A three-member full bench, led by Chief Justice Ms. Aalia Neelum, questioned the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on the legal basis of the ban and the methods used to enforce it.

During the proceedings, the Chief Justice asked whether PTA had a list of government institutions using ‘X.’ In response, the government’s lawyer stated that no such system exists to track official accounts. The bench expressed concern over this lack of data, with Chief Justice Neelum remarking, “If there is no system to monitor who is using ‘X,’ then on what basis was the platform banned?”

The court also inquired whether the government had any formal agreement with ‘X.’ The government’s lawyer confirmed that no such agreement was in place. Advocate Azhar, representing one of the petitioners, volunteered to provide the court with details of officials and institutions actively using the platform, highlighting inconsistencies in the PTA’s stance.

Justice Ali Zia Bajwa also questioned the credibility of PTA’s claims, suggesting that the petitioner could easily reveal which government entities were still using ‘X.’ Chief Justice Neelum further criticized the PTA’s lack of transparency, stating, “You cannot mislead the court.”

A major revelation came when the court asked whether PTA itself was operating an official account on ‘X.’ The PTA Chairman admitted that the authority was still using ‘X’ despite imposing a ban, and they were accessing it through a Virtual Private Network (VPN). The bench was visibly critical of this disclosure. “You are engaging in illegal activity yourself,” Chief Justice Neelum remarked, questioning the legality of using a VPN to bypass a ban imposed by the same authority.

When further pressed on whether VPN usage was legal, the government’s lawyer stated that it was. However, Chief Justice Neelum pointed out that PTA’s own reports had previously termed VPN use in the case of ‘X’ as illegal. This contradiction further weakened the government’s stance. The PTA Chairman later attempted to backtrack, stating, “I apologize, we are not using ‘X’.” The court reprimanded the PTA for its inconsistent statements.

As the hearing continued, the Chief Justice warned the PTA that the court was not there to simply accept written submissions without proper justification. “This full bench is not sitting here just for you to submit documents and leave,” she remarked.

After a heated exchange, the Lahore High Court granted the PTA one last opportunity to present a clear and comprehensive justification for the ban. The hearing was adjourned until April 8, with the expectation that the government would provide detailed evidence regarding the platform’s usage and the rationale behind its suspension.

The case has drawn widespread attention, as critics argue that the ban on ‘X’ raises concerns over digital rights and transparency. With the next hearing scheduled for April 8, all eyes remain on the Lahore High Court as it continues to scrutinize the government’s handling of the issue.