In order to prevent information from being accessed and to curtail democratic freedom of speech, India has blocked Radio Pakistan’s Twitter account for calling attention to the violations of human rights in the illegally seized region of Jammu and Kashmir.
Other social media accounts, including those of Indian journalists who criticized the policies of the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were also blocked.
Chaudhry Zameer Ashraf, a spokesperson for Radio Pakistan, expressed concern over the Indian action and added that the national broadcaster always upheld neutrality in its news articles and rigorously adhered to international journalistic principles.
In order to protect the right to free speech and access to information, he pleaded with Twitter to quickly open up the Radio Pakistan account in India. Asim Iftikhar, the spokesperson for the Foreign Office, earlier expressed grave worry about India’s banning of the official accounts of Pakistani embassies in the UN, Turkey, Iran, Egypt, and other places.
In a statement, he said it is exceedingly troubling that there is less room for a variety of views and access to information in India. He asserted that social media sites must adhere to any applicable international standards.
The right of the people to know the truth, according to Saima Syed, depends on the freedom of expression and access to information. As an international corporation, Twitter has its own set of morals and values. She said that the Indian action also violated the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In order to reach its citizens, India cannot use such repressive tactics, according to the director general of strategic communication.
World’s most powerful passports ranking 2021 out – Pakistani passport ranked fourth worst
Officials claim that the major reason the state broadcaster of Pakistan’s social media account was withheld was that it exposed serious human rights abuses in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. In order to protect freedom of speech and access to information, they further requested Twitter to immediately reopen the Radio Pakistan account in India.
Both the Twitter account of columnist CJ Walerman and prominent Indian journalist and Modi sceptic Rana Ayub were restricted in India. Both have been outspoken opponents of the Modi administration’s policies, which are aimed mostly at the country’s Muslims. The so-called largest democracy in the world is losing ground in terms of freedom of expression, according to the international human rights organisations, who have condemned the Indian decision.
- Misleading Video Alters Prime Minister Shehbaz’s Speech Targeting Political Rival, Not His Party - 21/04/2024
- ATC Grants Three-Day Remand for Suspects in Ichhra Bazaar Harassment Case - 19/03/2024
- Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh Lead World in Severe Smog Crisis, Exceeding WHO Guidelines - 19/03/2024
