 "The reason Sharif used VPN to access X was because his own government had banned the microblogging earlier this year. Reuters")
Donald Trump secured victory Wednesday when he surpassed the 270 electoral college votes needed to win.
In a victory speech before the official declaration, he vowed to “put our country first” and bring out a “golden age” for America.
Global leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, congratulated the 78-year-old Republican. However, a congratulatory message from Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has caused a row on social media.
Here’s what happened.
The row
On November 6, after the US election results were announced, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif, taking to X, wrote: “Congratulations to President-elect Donald Trump on his historic victory for a second term! I look forward to working closely with the incoming Administration to further strengthen and broaden the Pakistan-US partnership.”
A Community Note on X was used shortly after to flag the post, pointing out that the Prime Minister was using a VPN to access the platform, which is against Pakistani legal framework.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has banned X (formerly Twitter) in Pakistan. He is using a VPN to access X, which is unlawful according to Pakistani law,” the X Community Note read.
However, it is not clear if the PM did access the platform using X or tweeted from outside the country.
Following the platform’s ban and use of a VPN to congratulate the US President-elect, Sharif was soon criticised by X users, who accused the Pakistani Prime Minister and his administration of “hypocrisy.”
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“Check this out people – Shameless and mandates thief @CMShehbaz is congratulating @realDonaldTrump via X after banning X for his own Pakistani nation – this is called a true hypocrisy!!” a netizen replied.
Another one tweeted, “Mr Trump this joker using VPN to congratulate you… btw @elonmusk plate form has been banned in Pakistan!!!”
“The government has imposed a ban on Twitter in Pakistan, with reports suggesting that even ministers are accessing the platform using VPNs, which is quite an irony for a government that’s restricting public access while using the same tools to bypass their own rules,” a user replied.
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The ban
The reason Sharif used VPN to access X was because his own government had banned the microblogging earlier this year.
Due to national security concerns, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar prohibited access to X in April.
Tarar asserted that the platform was being used by Balochistani terrorists affiliated with the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) to disseminate their anti-national operations.
“It is very pertinent to mention here that the failure of Twitter/X to adhere to the lawful directives of the government of Pakistan and address concerns regarding the misuse of its platform necessitated the imposition of a ban,” the ministry had said, according to news agency Reuters.
It added, “The decision to impose a ban on Twitter/X in Pakistan was made in the interest of upholding national security, maintaining public order, and preserving the integrity of our nation.”
Additionally, the ministry had stated that it had taken into account classified reports from Pakistan’s security and intelligence services before deciding to block X.
It further informed that “hostile elements operating on Twitter/X have nefarious intentions to create an environment of chaos and instability, with the ultimate goal of destabilising the country and plunging it into some form of anarchy.”
In an interview with Reuters, digital rights activist Usama Khilji claimed that the X block was intended to hinder democratic accountability, which he claimed is made possible by a platform that provides real-time status updates.
Marketing consultant Saif Ali told the news agency, “It has become nearly impossible to convince Pakistani advertisers to invest in Twitter for brand communications, due to the platform being throttled by governmental authorities.”
Also read: Donald Trump’s win: Is anti-incumbency the new normal in global politics?
Criticism
Sharif and other officials seem to have discovered ways to get around the restriction via VPNs, despite the government’s official position.
Actually, despite their own legal limitations, a large number of Pakistani leaders — including some from Sharif’s own party — have persisted in using the platform without restriction.
Opponents contend that by enforcing the ban without consulting the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), which is the sole entity permitted to control online content under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act of 2016, the Ministry of Interior went beyond its authority.
As with other services like YouTube and TikTok, the true purpose of the ban is to compel X to abide by local censorship requirements.
With inputs from agencies