1 week Ago By Our Staff Reporter
LAHORE - The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday summoned the attorney general of Pakistan (AGP) for assistance on April 17 in connection with hearings related to petitions filed against the blocking of the social media platform ‘X’ (formerly Twitter). A three-member bench, headed by LHC Chief Justice Aalia Neelum and comprising Justice Farooq Haider and Justice Ali Zia Bajwa, conducted the hearing on petitions filed by Judicial Activism Panel and others. During the proceedings, petitioners’ counsel Advocate Azhar Siddique questioned the legal basis for the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA) decision to block access to X.
He argued that the court had previously requested a list of government officials currently using X, but the list was not provided. He also pointed out a lack of consensus between the PTA and the federal government on the matter. However, an additional attorney general informed the bench that PTA had already submitted its report, but providing a list of government officials using the platform was not feasible.
In response, the court directed the attorney general to clarify the legal standing of the notification that led to X’s shutdown and appear fully prepared at the next hearing. Subsequently, the court adjourned further proceedings until April 17..
