Twitter relocates Gilgit-Baltistan users to India, sends digital shockwaves across Pakistan

Twitter reportedly blocked Pakistan’s official Twitter account in Gilgit-Baltistan and showed the location of the region in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Even after the users turn the location feature on the app, tweets sent from the region are marked as originating from J-K, reported Dawn. The issue came to light when several Twitter users in Gilgit-Baltistan complained that they were unable to access the government’s official account from the region. “I am in #GilgitBaltistan & @Twitter can’t show tweets from @GovtofPakistan, saying that account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand! Hello @TwitterSupport, I’m in Pakistan why can’t I see tweets from various accounts I follow including the one mentioned?,” tweeted Yasir Hussain, a resident of the Rahimabad area of Gilgit.

I am in #GilgitBaltistan & @Twitter can't show tweets from @GovtofPakistan, saying that account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand! Hello @TwitterSupport, I'm in Pakistan why can't I see tweets from various accounts I follow including the one mentioned? pic.twitter.com/JVoxQLddpM

— Yasir (@yasirhunzai1) July 6, 2023

When users tried to access the account, a message was displayed stating the “account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand.” Another Twitter user, Karim Shah Nizari also said that he can’t add Pakistan’s location to his tweets. “The only option we are getting is Jammu and Kashmir.” Nizari told Dawn that he was based in the Yasin Valley of Ghizer district, but the Twitter algorithm was showing him tweets from India on his feed.

Now Twitter algorithms are showing tweets from #GilgitBaltistan in India

— Karim Shah Nizari (@shahnizari) July 7, 2023

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Pakistan Telecommunication Authority tweeted, “Reference news circulating on social media and certain section of news media that Twitter has blocked access to the Government of Pakistan’s official account in Gilgit-Baltistan and changed the region’s location to parts of India, PTA would like to clarify that that the matter has been thoroughly investigated and no such problem has been found, as being circulated in the media.” It added that after a detailed on-ground testing, it appears that the “sporadic issues” were limited to a few iOS devices. These incidents are not significant and do not reflect a widespread problem.

Reference news circulating on social media and certain section of news media that Twitter has blocked access to the Government of Pakistan's official account in Gilgit-Baltistan and changed the region's location to parts of India, PTA would like to clarify that that the matter… pic.twitter.com/NXKaN3Anbn

— PTA (@PTAofficialpk) July 9, 2023

With inputs from agencies