ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has scheduled the hearing of a petition challenging the ban on the social media platform X for February 6, 2025.
The petition, which was last heard on April 17, 2024, has faced multiple delays, with earlier hearing dates set for May 2 and June 11, 2024, but not proceeding.
The IHC accepted a miscellaneous application for an early hearing on November 22, 2024, and the court has now confirmed the date for the next hearing after the winter vacation. Chief Justice Aamir Farooq will preside over the case.
In related developments, the Senate’s Standing Committee on IT and Telecom met on December 5 to discuss issues concerning the country’s IT sector, including the government’s VPN policy. During the meeting, Pasha Chairman Sajjad Mustafa Syed expressed concerns about the economic impact of internet disruptions on the IT industry, stating that one hour of downtime leads to a loss of approximately $910,000.
Senator Palwasha Khan, who chairs the committee, criticized the Ministry of IT for shifting responsibility to the Ministry of Interior, questioning the effectiveness of the current governance structure. In response, the Secretary of IT assured that efforts are being made to balance national security requirements with the minimal disruption of the IT sector.
The committee’s discussions underscored the need for a more strategic approach to policy-making that considers both national security concerns and the growth of Pakistan’s IT industry.
