Interior Ministry, has acknowledged and confirmed the ban on the social media platform X

Based on the information provided, it seems that the Pakistani government, particularly the Interior Ministry, has acknowledged and confirmed the ban on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. This ban was reportedly imposed in February based on intelligence agency reports. The ban has resulted in disruptions to access in various parts of the country since February 17.

The Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar had previously acknowledged that X was banned when the new government assumed office, but there was no official notification regarding the ban until now.

The Home Ministry's decision to block also mentioned that provincial governments had filed requests for suspension of data services and restrictions on social media sites due to security concerns, particularly after the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Several petitions have been filed across the country against the suspension of mobile and internet services as well as the blocking of social media platforms such as B. Respondents, comments, and responses submitted in response to these petitions.

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The court had issued interim orders regulating the restoration of internet services and access to social media platforms unless there are legal justifications or valid reasons for their closure. However, access to X/Twitter remained blocked despite court rulings.

The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) defended the government's action and said that shutting down telecommunications services was within the power of the federal government, especially in cases of national security concerns. 

The PTA also questioned the maintainability of the petitions with the arguments that mobile use by the public is not a fundamental right but is a licensed service provided by the PTA  with conditions and the PTA has a write to allow anyone or to ban it.

Number of petitions have been filed by journalists, lawyers, and academics, against the ban on social media. All Petition's main concerns are freedom of expression and access to information in Pakistan.