You may wonder why X, formerly Twitter, is not working today in Pakistan. This is because access to the platform was suspended recently. On February 17, 2024, the Pakistan media regulator blocked the popular social media site Twitter. This has raised questions about internet censorship and freedom in the country.
According to AP news, many human rights activists have voiced their criticism against the platform shutdown and demanded an end to it. Despite this, the ban still continues. However, if you are looking for a way to access the platform while staying in Pakistan, you are in the right place.
This post answers every question about the X ban in Pakistan, including ways to bypass the online restriction. Let’s dive in!
How to Unblock Twitter (X) in Pakistan
The major reason you can’t access the banned platform is that you are browsing with an IP address linked to Pakistan. However, using a Twitter VPN, you can easily change your IP address to a country where Twitter isn’t blocked and browse freely. Here’s how to do so:
- Subscribe to the ExtremeVPN premium plan.
- Download our app on your preferred device.
- Connect to a server location where Twitter is available, like the US or the UK.
You have now successfully unblocked Twitter and can use it freely while in Pakistan.
Why is X Banned in Pakistan?
Before we delve into how to bypass X’s online restriction in Pakistan, let’s understand the context of why this all happened. On February 8, 2024, Pakistan held its parliament election. During the election, phone services were unavailable in many locations within the country. However, the Interior Minister said this was done to ensure the country’s security.
The election’s results were meant to come out on 10 February 2024. Yet, again, the phone services weren’t completely restored. According to Netblocks, an organization that monitors internet usage, many users couldn’t access the internet, which led to a delay in announcing the election result and created doubts about the result’s authenticity. On February 11, the results started to come out, and the online protests began!
There were various allegations stating that Pakistan’s vote was flawed with massive fraud, especially by the PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) party. The party stated its electoral mandate was stolen, while the country’s electoral commission denied this charge. However, other political parties have also joined in protesting against the result.
On February 17, the day of the ban, a senior government official in the Rawalpindi region, Liaqat Ali Chattha, confessed that he had helped manipulate the Pakistan election votes. Videos of him speaking about his involvement had trended on X. Many X users in Pakistan went to the platform to criticize the alleged election tampering.
Following this news, the social media platform was ultimately blocked. It’s no surprise that this happened as many journalists, reporters, and protestors use X to gather followers and spread information about planned demonstrations.
How Long Will X Stay Banned in Pakistan?
The social media service has remained inaccessible to Pakistan netizens since February 17, despite many activists criticizing the ban. Although there have been reports from a few netizens that the platform seems to be accessible for some hours during the day, it’s still unclear as to when the ban will be permanently lifted.
How U.S. Responded Towards These Restrictions
On February 21, the United States spoke against the X restriction among Pakistani citizens. When asked about the social media ban in Pakistan, the U.S. spokesperson, Mathew Miller, said, ‘We continue to call on Pakistan to respect freedom of expression and restore access to any social media that has been restricted, including Twitter, now known as X.’
The spokesperson stated that Washington always has and will continually emphasize respecting citizens’ fundamental freedoms during their engagements with Pakistani officials. He also said that this viewpoint was expressed to the officials through formal means.
However, despite all this, the Pakistani government continues to stay silent about the restriction.
Twitter as a Tool for Journalism
For years now, Twitter, now known as X, has been an essential tool for bloggers and journalists. These professionals use this platform to get information through tweets or ask people directly to confirm or debunk information. Some data is even obtained through people sharing links, videos, and photos, giving the blogger or journalist more insight into the people involved in the stories.
With the Pakistan government blocking X in the country, the amount of information available to the public has been limited. While this was done to curb the protest against the alleged political rigging on the platform, the ban can silence the affected parties from stating their views. It can also control the information that’s spreading.
As elections are done for the citizens, journalists and bloggers may be unable to get the thoughts of X users on the issue, and some may not have access to the right information. This explains a clear violation of the citizen’s right to access information and speak freely.
Ways to Unblock Twitter in Pakistan
Thanks to technology, there are tools that you can use to bypass restrictions from any location worldwide, including the recent X ban in Pakistan. Below are the ways you can use to unblock Twitter in Pakistan:
1. Use a VPN
A VPN is the easiest and safest option when accessing any social media platform. No matter what restrictions you’re facing, ExtremeVPN has you covered. Our fast servers encrypt your internet traffic, making your online activities safe from your government or ISP. It also hides your IP address, making it seem like you are not browsing from Pakistan.
With all these identifiers hidden, you can access X as if the ban never existed. ExtremeVPN has apps for most major operating systems, including Windows, MacOS, Android, and iOS. So, you can access the social media platform from any device you choose as long as you have ExtremeVPN by your side.
2. Use a Proxy
A proxy server is a tool that stands as a middleman between the website you want to visit and your device. Every device has its unique IP address, and a proxy server also has its own. Connecting to a proxy server changes your device’s IP address to the proxy server’s IP address, allowing you to unblock the X platform.
Note that using a proxy isn’t as secure as a VPN. However, if you still want to try it, use ExtremeVPN’s fast and advanced proxy. It helps you bypass restrictions on any platform, wherever you are.
3. Use Tor
Tor, also known as The Onion Router, is a browser that allows you to bypass geo-restrictions. The service is similar to other browsers like Chrome and Safari because they allow you to access specific web addresses. However, with Tor, you can access restricted websites and bypass blockages on special sites.
Which is the Best VPN to Unblock Twitter in Pakistan
ExtremeVPN is the best VPN service to access Twitter and any other restricted app from anywhere worldwide. Thanks to its amazing security and privacy features, you won’t have to worry about government bans anytime you want to visit a site. ExtremeVPN’s features include the following:
- Extensive server network: ExtremeVPN has over 6,500 servers available in 78+ countries. So, you won’t have any problem changing your virtual address to any country you choose. Regardless of the server location you connect to, you can enjoy fast network speed and unlimited bandwidth.
- Military-grade encryption: The VPN service comes with high-class AES-256 encryption capable of shielding your online traffic from any prying eyes. These prying eyes include your government and ISP, who are ready to block your access to the X platform. With this protective shield, no one can detect what site you are visiting online.
- Internet Kill Switch: Sometimes, you may experience a network disruption when browsing online. This Kill Switch helps to prevent any of your data from getting leaked, even during these disruptions. Just like how your online activity is shielded when you connect to a VPN, it ensures that a network glitch doesn’t break down this shield.
- DNS/IPv6 leak protection: You can browse privately with these security features as they help ensure that your IP address and online identity remain hidden from the site you are visiting. That means you can log into your X account from Pakistan without worrying about your location getting revealed.
- No-log policy: ExtremeVPN has a strict no-log policy that prevents us from tracking or storing your online information. So you won’t have to worry about your online activity getting leaked to the public.
Conclusion
Before this X ban, Pakistan had other instances where social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram faced restrictions on different occasions. This indicates that you must get a VPN now, as you may not know when the next ban may occur. A reliable VPN service like ExtremeVPN can help you bypass any geo-restriction on any website, regardless of your location. Get ExtremeVPN, and enjoy unlimited freedom on the internet today!
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