US calls on Pakistan to lift internet shutdowns, social media restrictions
Internet outages, and restrictions on social media applications like X (formerly Twitter) were imposed in Pakistan on Saturday after a senior government official made a public admission of vote manipulation in the February 8 election. US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller on Wednesday said that the US is concerned by reports of restrictions on the exercise of the freedom of expression and association in Pakistan, "including the partial or complete government-imposed internet shutdowns, which includes, of course, on social media platforms." He added that Washington continues to call on Pakistan to respect freedom of expression and "restore access to any social media that has been restricted, including Twitter, now known as X." Miller said the US concerns had been communicated to Pakistan through official channels.
"We have and we will continue to emphasize the importance of respecting these fundamental freedoms during our engagements with Pakistani officials," he added. The global internet monitor, Netblocks, has cited instances of restrictions related to election fraud.
"Metrics show that X/Twitter remains largely restricted in Pakistan past the four-day mark; imposed on Saturday as disclosures relating to election fraud circulated on the platform," Netblocks said. Pakistanis went to the polls earlier this month.
Accusations of vote rigging have arisen due to unusually delayed results in an election marked by a mobile internet shutdown on polling day. United States, Britain and the European Union have separately expressed concerns about Pakistan's electoral process in the wake of the elections.
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