ISLAMABAD: Social networking website Twitter will no longer suspend or eliminate user accounts originating from Pakistan, the government announced on Wednesday.
On Aug 19, the Pakistani government, in a letter to Twitter Vice President Trust and Safety Del Harvey, stated that the accounts of users from Pakistan were shut down without warning or prior notice.
The letter further stated that the suspension of accounts from Twitter’s end had caused massive unrest, resentment, and anger among the general public, and requested that Twitter should consider introducing amends to their policy in this regard.
Chairman of the National IT Board Shabahat Ali Shah met with Twitter officials recently in which important issues between the Twitter administration and the government of Pakistan were discussed.
“We have serious concerns that suspending Twitter accounts of the government may result in an uncontrollable outburst of the public. Stopping someone from giving his opinion on an important issue also goes against the policy of Twitter,” Shah said in the letter.
The government statement further explained that Twitter will no longer unilaterally suspend the accounts of Pakistani users and will be bound to contact the government of Pakistan in case of taking any kind of action on any complaint
During the meeting, the issue of deleting accounts of Pakistani users for raising their voice and writing about Indian atrocities in Kashmir also came under discussion. Officials were informed that hundreds of accounts have been suspended by Twitter for raising their voice on the ongoing issue in Kashmir.
Twitter officials were told that after India’s illegal annexation of occupied Kashmir, there had been an increase in Indian bullying through Twitter. Officials representing Twitter assured that in future everything will be closely monitored and no one will be allowed to use to their platform to spew hate.
The issue began when the platform was used by thousands of Pakistani and Kashmiri users to praise Prime Minister Imran Khan for raising the Kashmir issue and exposing the Indian government’s policy of ethnic cleansing in meetings with different world leaders and especially in United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Right after the speech, social media users posted thousands of tweets to praise PM Imran by using the hashtag ‘Voice of Kashmir’. Which also became a global trending topic.
Soon, Pakistani Twitter accounts using the hashtag were suspended. To record their protest, thousands of Pakistani users started posting tweets under the hashtag #IndiaHijackedTwitter.
A large number of users also tagged Twitter CEO Jack Patrick Dorsey in their messages, accusing the portal of attempting to suppress their voice against Indian atrocities.
