Islamabad: The federal government has submitted a report to the court detailing its efforts to have former prime minister Imran Khan’s account on X (formerly Twitter) blocked, revealing that attempts have been ongoing for more than three and a half years.
According to the report, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) first wrote to X on August 21, 2022, seeking the suspension of Imran Khan’s account. The request was later repeated on April 18, 2024, citing his convictions in the Toshakhana, cipher, and iddat cases.
The court was informed that on November 27, 2025, the PTA again approached X, requesting the blocking of 47 posts made by Imran Khan. However, the report stated that despite three formal requests over the past three and a half years, X largely rejected the government’s demands and blocked only one post from the latest list.
The report further revealed that the PTA had directed social media companies to register with the authority in Pakistan and appoint local focal persons. However, none of the major social media platforms complied with these instructions.
The court was also told that social media companies registered in other countries do not consider themselves bound by the laws of foreign jurisdictions. As a result, complaints from Pakistan are reviewed strictly under the platforms’ own internal policies rather than local laws.