SLAMABAD: According to a Ministry of Interior spokesman on Friday, the federal administration has not yet decided whether to stop internet access for the month of Muharram.
Due to security concerns, the provincial governments had requested that six social media applications be suspended for approximately one week during Muharram, which is scheduled to begin on July 8.
The interior ministry spokesperson issued a statement today cautioning against believing rumors, stating that no decision has been made regarding the requests of the provincial governments.
The statement made it clear that the Prime Minister’s Office has not given any orders regarding the internet being shut down during the holy month.
The interior ministry stated, “No provincial government’s application has been approved or denied.”
The News said on Friday that the Punjab government has justified the action by citing the dissemination of hate speech and false information.
A meeting of the Standing Committee of the Cabinet on Law and Order was called to evaluate Muharram’s administrative and security arrangements, per a letter from the Punjab Home Department.
At this meeting, it was decided to halt the use of social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok from Muharram 6 to 11. The purpose of this measure was to stop hate speech and false information from spreading and to prevent sectarian violence.
