The government will decide today to suspend social media

• Punjab has asked the central government to suspend access to social media platforms.
• The interior minister is set to meet the prime minister and discuss the issue, sources said.
• Province wants access blocked from Muharram 6 to 11.
  

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet will take a decision on the Punjab government’s request to suspend access to social media platforms for about a week during Muharram ul Haram due to security concerns, sources said Geo News Friday.

“Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi will raise the issue with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif today,” people familiar with the matter said, as the province seeks to avoid any unpleasantness during the religious event.

Believers hold processions across the country in Muharram, while religious scholars address huge gatherings amid tight security. Thousands of law enforcement officers provide security during the month.

Meanwhile, sources said the interior minister was not in favor of suspending social media platforms. “The meeting will decide whether social media sites will be banned.”

The Punjab government cited the spread of hate material and misinformation as the reason for the decision, The news it was announced on Friday.

As per a letter from the Punjab Home Ministry, a meeting of the Cabinet Standing Committee on Law and Order has been convened to discuss security and administrative arrangements for Muharram.

The meeting decided to suspend social media, including Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok and Instagram from 6 to 11 Muharram to prevent the spread of hate material and disinformation. This is aimed at preventing sectarian violence.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has written to the Ministry of Interior, Government of Pakistan, demanding immediate action to ensure peace and security during the difficult period of Muharram.