Pakistan gives deadline of Friday to twitter to restore accounts

[Pakhtoon yum]

Islamabad warns of legal action against Twitter if accounts not restored by Friday

Twitter has suspended 240 Pakistani accounts for tweets related to rights abuses in disputed Kashmir. (Shutterstock)
Updated 22 August 2019
AAMIR SAEED & SIB KAIFEE
August 21, 201920:56

• Since Aug 5, Twitter has suspended 240 Pakistani accounts for tweets related to rights abuses in disputed Kashmir
• PM’s adviser on digital media says new law being drafted to ensure social media giants abide by national regulations

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will file a lawsuit against social media website Twitter in the United States if 240 Pakistani accounts suspended over posts related to the ongoing crisis in the disputed Kashmir region were not restored, the prime minister’s adviser on digital media said on Wednesday.
Dr. Arslan Khalid, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s focal person on digital media, told Arab News that Twitter had restored only six of 240 suspended accounts by Tuesday.
“We will definitely go for the lawsuit [against Twitter] if the issue isn’t resolved by August 23,” he said in an interview. “But there is no use of suing here in Pakistan because they don’t have any stakes here, nor we have any laws. We will file the case in California.”
However, Khalid added that the lawsuit would be an “extreme step” and he hoped the issue would be resolved by Friday.
Kashmir has been a thorny issue between arch-rivals India and Pakistan for decades and the two nuclear-armed nations have fought three wars over the Himalayan region which they both govern in part but claim in full.
On August 5, the Indian government revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in a bid to fully integrate India’s only Muslim-majority region with the rest of the country, the most far-reaching move on the troubled territory in nearly seven decades.
Anticipating unrest, authorities immediately moved to launch a clampdown in Kashmir by suspending telephone and Internet services and putting some leaders under house arrest. But in Pakistan, politicians, army officers and average citizens took to social media websites in the millions to accuse India of human rights violations in the territory at the heart of more than 70 years of hostility between the two countries.
Twitter has since suspended over 200 accounts in connection with Kashmir-related posts but the company denies the suspensions are politically motivated or biased in favor of India, as Pakistan has alleged.
“We enforce our policies judiciously and impartially for all users — regardless of their political beliefs and country of origin,” a spokesperson for Twitter said in response to email queries by Arab News.
On Monday, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) also requested Twitter in a letter to restore the suspended accounts but says it has yet to hear back from the social media website.
“It appears that Twitter administration under influence of Indian lobbies is depriving Pakistani users, which is not only against the fundamental rights of the users but is also in violation of Twitter’s own community guidelines,” the PTA letter, seen by Arab News, said. “Prima facie, biased treatment is being extended to users from Pakistan.”
The Twitter spokesperson denied the allegations in the PTA letter and said: “Twitter exists to serve the public conversation, including in national and regional events of political importance. We are founded on the principles of free expression and believe people on all sides of an issue have a fundamental right to discuss them within the boundaries of our policies, which prohibit terrorism, hateful conduct, platform manipulation, and abuse.”
The PM’s adviser on digital media said apart from considering a lawsuit against Twitter, the government was discussing a “multi-pronged strategy” against the company, including sharing all details related to suspended accounts on public forums to expose what Pakistan believes are actions biased in India’s favor, and moving the United Nations against what the government sees as a curtailment by Twitter of users’ freedom of expression.
Khalid said Pakistan was also in the process of formulating new laws to ensure that social media companies operated under Pakistan’s rules and regulations.
“We have prepared a draft of social media laws and this will be ready to implement in a month and a half,” Khalid said, adding that in the absence of specific laws, Pakistan was negotiating with social media companies currently on “request-based applications only.”
Shabahat Ali Shah, executive-director at the National Information Technology Board (NITB), told Arab News that the Board planned to reach out to Twitter’s CEO in the United States, “and use all other legal options if the issue is not resolved as per our proposed process by August 23.”
“Our complaint to Twitter is that Pakistani citizen’s accounts have been suspended without giving any reason,” Shah said. “We have asked Twitter to give us a proper justification for it by Friday.”
He said that Pakistan wanted to resolve the issue “amicably,” but also wanted social media companies to realize that “they should abide by at least their own rules and regulations.”

http://www.arabnews.pk/node/1543326/pakistan

This is what needs to be done, warn Facebook and YouTube too

 

[War Thunder]

That is upto twitter to decide. You can go ahead.

Then why are you getting butt hurt over it?
If the government knows they have a reason to go to the courts then they will. Why are you being the majnoo in some one elses wedding?

 

[maximuswarrior]

In my opinion, not only should the concerned autorities file a case, but also apply an immediate ban on Twitter. The ban should only be removed once Twitter restores the accounts.

These are the same hypocrites shouting freedom of speech. Here they are blocking free speech regarding human rights abuses by dirty Indian rapists in occupied Kashmir.

Twitter is a very dodgy platform. We need to bend it by force to abide by our rules. If not, they can fvck off and we should ban their selective propaganda platform all together.

 

[Mahmood-ur-Rehman]

Islamabad warns of legal action against Twitter if accounts not restored by Friday

Twitter has suspended 240 Pakistani accounts for tweets related to rights abuses in disputed Kashmir. (Shutterstock)
Updated 22 August 2019
AAMIR SAEED & SIB KAIFEE
August 21, 201920:56

• Since Aug 5, Twitter has suspended 240 Pakistani accounts for tweets related to rights abuses in disputed Kashmir
• PM’s adviser on digital media says new law being drafted to ensure social media giants abide by national regulations

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will file a lawsuit against social media website Twitter in the United States if 240 Pakistani accounts suspended over posts related to the ongoing crisis in the disputed Kashmir region were not restored, the prime minister’s adviser on digital media said on Wednesday.
Dr. Arslan Khalid, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s focal person on digital media, told Arab News that Twitter had restored only six of 240 suspended accounts by Tuesday.
“We will definitely go for the lawsuit [against Twitter] if the issue isn’t resolved by August 23,” he said in an interview. “But there is no use of suing here in Pakistan because they don’t have any stakes here, nor we have any laws. We will file the case in California.”
However, Khalid added that the lawsuit would be an “extreme step” and he hoped the issue would be resolved by Friday.
Kashmir has been a thorny issue between arch-rivals India and Pakistan for decades and the two nuclear-armed nations have fought three wars over the Himalayan region which they both govern in part but claim in full.
On August 5, the Indian government revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in a bid to fully integrate India’s only Muslim-majority region with the rest of the country, the most far-reaching move on the troubled territory in nearly seven decades.
Anticipating unrest, authorities immediately moved to launch a clampdown in Kashmir by suspending telephone and Internet services and putting some leaders under house arrest. But in Pakistan, politicians, army officers and average citizens took to social media websites in the millions to accuse India of human rights violations in the territory at the heart of more than 70 years of hostility between the two countries.
Twitter has since suspended over 200 accounts in connection with Kashmir-related posts but the company denies the suspensions are politically motivated or biased in favor of India, as Pakistan has alleged.
“We enforce our policies judiciously and impartially for all users — regardless of their political beliefs and country of origin,” a spokesperson for Twitter said in response to email queries by Arab News.
On Monday, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) also requested Twitter in a letter to restore the suspended accounts but says it has yet to hear back from the social media website.
“It appears that Twitter administration under influence of Indian lobbies is depriving Pakistani users, which is not only against the fundamental rights of the users but is also in violation of Twitter’s own community guidelines,” the PTA letter, seen by Arab News, said. “Prima facie, biased treatment is being extended to users from Pakistan.”
The Twitter spokesperson denied the allegations in the PTA letter and said: “Twitter exists to serve the public conversation, including in national and regional events of political importance. We are founded on the principles of free expression and believe people on all sides of an issue have a fundamental right to discuss them within the boundaries of our policies, which prohibit terrorism, hateful conduct, platform manipulation, and abuse.”
The PM’s adviser on digital media said apart from considering a lawsuit against Twitter, the government was discussing a “multi-pronged strategy” against the company, including sharing all details related to suspended accounts on public forums to expose what Pakistan believes are actions biased in India’s favor, and moving the United Nations against what the government sees as a curtailment by Twitter of users’ freedom of expression.
Khalid said Pakistan was also in the process of formulating new laws to ensure that social media companies operated under Pakistan’s rules and regulations.
“We have prepared a draft of social media laws and this will be ready to implement in a month and a half,” Khalid said, adding that in the absence of specific laws, Pakistan was negotiating with social media companies currently on “request-based applications only.”
Shabahat Ali Shah, executive-director at the National Information Technology Board (NITB), told Arab News that the Board planned to reach out to Twitter’s CEO in the United States, “and use all other legal options if the issue is not resolved as per our proposed process by August 23.”
“Our complaint to Twitter is that Pakistani citizen’s accounts have been suspended without giving any reason,” Shah said. “We have asked Twitter to give us a proper justification for it by Friday.”
He said that Pakistan wanted to resolve the issue “amicably,” but also wanted social media companies to realize that “they should abide by at least their own rules and regulations.”

http://www.arabnews.pk/node/1543326/pakistan

Just stop the twitter activities in Pakistan

 

[War Thunder]

In my opinion, not only should the concerned autorities file a case, but also apply an immediate ban on Twitter. The ban should only be removed once Twitter restores the accounts.

These are the same hypocrites shouting freedom of speech. Here they are blocking free speech regarding human rights abuses by dirty Indian rapists in occupied Kashmir.

Twitter is a very dodgy platform. We need to bend it by force to abide by our rules. If not, they can fvck off and we should ban their selective propaganda platform all together.

And who does it benefit when its just your enemy getting to have their say?
It's like the enemy is on the battlefield and you pull out saying we don't want to fight anymore.

 

[graphican]

In my opinion, not only should the concerned autorities file a case, but also apply an immediate ban on Twitter. The ban should only be removed once Twitter restores the accounts.

These are the same hypocrites shouting freedom of speech. Here they are blocking free speech regarding human rights abuses by dirty Indian rapists in occupied Kashmir.

Twitter is a very dodgy platform. We need to bend it by force to abide by our rules. If not, they can fvck off and we should ban their selective propaganda platform all together.

The threat of punishment is bigger than the punishment itself. The fear that something will happen to you is bigger than the thing happening to you. Do not block twitter yet, reduce its working and let it suffer half by blocking it in some parts of the country with a threat to cut itself if they continued to play India's political games upon Pakistan.

Another way punish twitter can be blocking all the ads and official announcements from twitter display in Paksitan. For that, you will need to run entire twitter traffic through your proxy servers.

 

[maithil]

This government really knows how to respond to Indian aggression in Kashmir. This step will hurt Modi on personal level. Taking on twitter for suspended accounts, complaining UN about Priyanka Chopra.. such proactive steps are needed in this age of information. Indian establishment would become sleepless seeing such bold and daring actions by Pakistani establishment.

 

[Dash]

Then why are you getting butt hurt over it?
If the government knows they have a reason to go to the courts then they will. Why are you being the majnoo in some one elses wedding?

I am not a majnoo in someone else's wedding here. I just left my opinion without commenting on anyone. + its related to Indian matter that you going to court for.
Then someone involved me and brought Indian matter literally. I had to response.

No go figure by reading to the context of my response.

 

[LeGenD]

Islamabad warns of legal action against Twitter if accounts not restored by Friday

Twitter has suspended 240 Pakistani accounts for tweets related to rights abuses in disputed Kashmir. (Shutterstock)
Updated 22 August 2019
AAMIR SAEED & SIB KAIFEE
August 21, 201920:56

• Since Aug 5, Twitter has suspended 240 Pakistani accounts for tweets related to rights abuses in disputed Kashmir
• PM’s adviser on digital media says new law being drafted to ensure social media giants abide by national regulations

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will file a lawsuit against social media website Twitter in the United States if 240 Pakistani accounts suspended over posts related to the ongoing crisis in the disputed Kashmir region were not restored, the prime minister’s adviser on digital media said on Wednesday.
Dr. Arslan Khalid, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s focal person on digital media, told Arab News that Twitter had restored only six of 240 suspended accounts by Tuesday.
“We will definitely go for the lawsuit [against Twitter] if the issue isn’t resolved by August 23,” he said in an interview. “But there is no use of suing here in Pakistan because they don’t have any stakes here, nor we have any laws. We will file the case in California.”
However, Khalid added that the lawsuit would be an “extreme step” and he hoped the issue would be resolved by Friday.
Kashmir has been a thorny issue between arch-rivals India and Pakistan for decades and the two nuclear-armed nations have fought three wars over the Himalayan region which they both govern in part but claim in full.
On August 5, the Indian government revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in a bid to fully integrate India’s only Muslim-majority region with the rest of the country, the most far-reaching move on the troubled territory in nearly seven decades.
Anticipating unrest, authorities immediately moved to launch a clampdown in Kashmir by suspending telephone and Internet services and putting some leaders under house arrest. But in Pakistan, politicians, army officers and average citizens took to social media websites in the millions to accuse India of human rights violations in the territory at the heart of more than 70 years of hostility between the two countries.
Twitter has since suspended over 200 accounts in connection with Kashmir-related posts but the company denies the suspensions are politically motivated or biased in favor of India, as Pakistan has alleged.
“We enforce our policies judiciously and impartially for all users — regardless of their political beliefs and country of origin,” a spokesperson for Twitter said in response to email queries by Arab News.
On Monday, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) also requested Twitter in a letter to restore the suspended accounts but says it has yet to hear back from the social media website.
“It appears that Twitter administration under influence of Indian lobbies is depriving Pakistani users, which is not only against the fundamental rights of the users but is also in violation of Twitter’s own community guidelines,” the PTA letter, seen by Arab News, said. “Prima facie, biased treatment is being extended to users from Pakistan.”
The Twitter spokesperson denied the allegations in the PTA letter and said: “Twitter exists to serve the public conversation, including in national and regional events of political importance. We are founded on the principles of free expression and believe people on all sides of an issue have a fundamental right to discuss them within the boundaries of our policies, which prohibit terrorism, hateful conduct, platform manipulation, and abuse.”
The PM’s adviser on digital media said apart from considering a lawsuit against Twitter, the government was discussing a “multi-pronged strategy” against the company, including sharing all details related to suspended accounts on public forums to expose what Pakistan believes are actions biased in India’s favor, and moving the United Nations against what the government sees as a curtailment by Twitter of users’ freedom of expression.
Khalid said Pakistan was also in the process of formulating new laws to ensure that social media companies operated under Pakistan’s rules and regulations.
“We have prepared a draft of social media laws and this will be ready to implement in a month and a half,” Khalid said, adding that in the absence of specific laws, Pakistan was negotiating with social media companies currently on “request-based applications only.”
Shabahat Ali Shah, executive-director at the National Information Technology Board (NITB), told Arab News that the Board planned to reach out to Twitter’s CEO in the United States, “and use all other legal options if the issue is not resolved as per our proposed process by August 23.”
“Our complaint to Twitter is that Pakistani citizen’s accounts have been suspended without giving any reason,” Shah said. “We have asked Twitter to give us a proper justification for it by Friday.”
He said that Pakistan wanted to resolve the issue “amicably,” but also wanted social media companies to realize that “they should abide by at least their own rules and regulations.”

http://www.arabnews.pk/node/1543326/pakistan

 

[JohnyD]

Twitter must not let use its platform to spread rumours when the tensions are high between two enemy nations..

 

[fitpOsitive]

Hit them where it hurts.

Then we have to hit the ads they display in Pakistan, it's simple. Then they will talk.

 

[Asian.Century]

whatever happened to twitter accounts restored, make more accounts, keep on making accounts, invade India.

 

[Thorough Pro]

There is no need to be apologetic, Pakistan is a nation of 220 million people and they make a lot of money form Pakistani consumers. Throw them out for good. ban them.

Islamabad warns of legal action against Twitter if accounts not restored by Friday

Twitter has suspended 240 Pakistani accounts for tweets related to rights abuses in disputed Kashmir. (Shutterstock)
Updated 22 August 2019
AAMIR SAEED & SIB KAIFEE
August 21, 201920:56

• Since Aug 5, Twitter has suspended 240 Pakistani accounts for tweets related to rights abuses in disputed Kashmir
• PM’s adviser on digital media says new law being drafted to ensure social media giants abide by national regulations

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will file a lawsuit against social media website Twitter in the United States if 240 Pakistani accounts suspended over posts related to the ongoing crisis in the disputed Kashmir region were not restored, the prime minister’s adviser on digital media said on Wednesday.
Dr. Arslan Khalid, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s focal person on digital media, told Arab News that Twitter had restored only six of 240 suspended accounts by Tuesday.
“We will definitely go for the lawsuit [against Twitter] if the issue isn’t resolved by August 23,” he said in an interview. “But there is no use of suing here in Pakistan because they don’t have any stakes here, nor we have any laws. We will file the case in California.”
However, Khalid added that the lawsuit would be an “extreme step” and he hoped the issue would be resolved by Friday.
Kashmir has been a thorny issue between arch-rivals India and Pakistan for decades and the two nuclear-armed nations have fought three wars over the Himalayan region which they both govern in part but claim in full.
On August 5, the Indian government revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in a bid to fully integrate India’s only Muslim-majority region with the rest of the country, the most far-reaching move on the troubled territory in nearly seven decades.
Anticipating unrest, authorities immediately moved to launch a clampdown in Kashmir by suspending telephone and Internet services and putting some leaders under house arrest. But in Pakistan, politicians, army officers and average citizens took to social media websites in the millions to accuse India of human rights violations in the territory at the heart of more than 70 years of hostility between the two countries.
Twitter has since suspended over 200 accounts in connection with Kashmir-related posts but the company denies the suspensions are politically motivated or biased in favor of India, as Pakistan has alleged.
“We enforce our policies judiciously and impartially for all users — regardless of their political beliefs and country of origin,” a spokesperson for Twitter said in response to email queries by Arab News.
On Monday, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) also requested Twitter in a letter to restore the suspended accounts but says it has yet to hear back from the social media website.
“It appears that Twitter administration under influence of Indian lobbies is depriving Pakistani users, which is not only against the fundamental rights of the users but is also in violation of Twitter’s own community guidelines,” the PTA letter, seen by Arab News, said. “Prima facie, biased treatment is being extended to users from Pakistan.”
The Twitter spokesperson denied the allegations in the PTA letter and said: “Twitter exists to serve the public conversation, including in national and regional events of political importance. We are founded on the principles of free expression and believe people on all sides of an issue have a fundamental right to discuss them within the boundaries of our policies, which prohibit terrorism, hateful conduct, platform manipulation, and abuse.”
The PM’s adviser on digital media said apart from considering a lawsuit against Twitter, the government was discussing a “multi-pronged strategy” against the company, including sharing all details related to suspended accounts on public forums to expose what Pakistan believes are actions biased in India’s favor, and moving the United Nations against what the government sees as a curtailment by Twitter of users’ freedom of expression.
Khalid said Pakistan was also in the process of formulating new laws to ensure that social media companies operated under Pakistan’s rules and regulations.
“We have prepared a draft of social media laws and this will be ready to implement in a month and a half,” Khalid said, adding that in the absence of specific laws, Pakistan was negotiating with social media companies currently on “request-based applications only.”
Shabahat Ali Shah, executive-director at the National Information Technology Board (NITB), told Arab News that the Board planned to reach out to Twitter’s CEO in the United States, “and use all other legal options if the issue is not resolved as per our proposed process by August 23.”
“Our complaint to Twitter is that Pakistani citizen’s accounts have been suspended without giving any reason,” Shah said. “We have asked Twitter to give us a proper justification for it by Friday.”
He said that Pakistan wanted to resolve the issue “amicably,” but also wanted social media companies to realize that “they should abide by at least their own rules and regulations.”

http://www.arabnews.pk/node/1543326/pakistan

 

[HAIDER]

The accounts are banned according to twitter's own rules. Dont think if it will stand. Hope you wont get penalized if you loose.

Modi paid unemployed IT persons working on this project to neutralized all post about Kashmir on tweeter.

 

[JonAsad]

Where is the lawsuit?