Authorities lift year-long ban on social media site X

KARACHI: Social media users in Pakistan expressed surprise on Wednesday when they could access X (formerly Twitter) without VPNs (virtual private networks) or proxy servers.

Many users reported that they were able to access X right after India launched a series of airstrikes on multiple sites in the country, resulting in the deaths of women and children.

India attacked Pakistan in the early hours of Wednesday in response to the Pahalgam attack in held Kashmir. India blames Pakistan for the attack, a claim Pakistan has outrightly denied.

Some users on X saw this as the authorities’ approach towards fighting disinformation. Since the attack, social media platforms have been flooded with misleading information. Several Indian accounts have posted pictures from other conflicts to spread anarchy and chaos in Pakistan. Several users see the sudden lifting of the ban as a strategy by the government to win information warfare on digital platforms. This end months of state-imposed restrictions on X.

X was first restricted in Pakistan in February 2024, with the government initially not confirming the ban, leading most users to depend on VPNs.