Gilgit-Baltistan (PoK)/Hyderabad:Amid reports of Twitter blocking Pakistan's official Twitter account in Gilgit-Baltistan and displaying the location of the region in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Pakistan Telecom Authority (PTA) clarified that the incident was limited to iOS devices and sporadic.
As per the Pakistani English-language newspaper Dawn, even after the users turn the location feature on the app, tweets sent from the region were marked as originating from India's J-K. There were multiple tweets circulating on Twitter showing changes in the microblogging site's location and blocking access to Pakistan Government's official account.
The issue came to light when several Twitter users in Gilgit-Baltistan complained that they were unable to access the government's official account from the region. When users tried to access the account, a message was displayed stating the "account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand".
Also read-The Twitter account of the Government of Pakistan withheld in India
The newspaper reported that Pakistani officials denied any such changes and termed the claim 'baseless' despite dozens of reports to the contrary. "There are no restrictions on the freedom of the internet, media and expression in the entire Gilgit Baltistan," officials said. The GB government said those making such claims on social media should stop spreading fake news.
In a statement, PTA rejected the news circulating on social media and certain section of news media that Twitter has blocked access to the Government of Pakistan's official account in Gilgit-Baltistan and changed the region's location to parts of India. It claimed that "on-ground testing, it appears that any sporadic issues encountered are limited to very few iOS devices, affecting a small number of users. These incidents are not significant and do not reflect a widespread problem."
Also read-Twitter blocks accounts of Pakistan Government, Radio Pakistan in India
The government's official account has been banned in India since March 2023. In 2022, the account was withheld twice over "legal complaints". "I am in #GilgitBaltistan & @Twitter can't show tweets from @GovtofPakistan, saying that account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand! Hello @TwitterSupport, I'm in Pakistan why can't I see tweets from various accounts I follow including the one mentioned?," tweeted Yasir Hussain, a resident of the Rahimabad area of Gilgit, according to Dawn.
While talking with Dawn, Hussain said that when he tried to add the location to his tweets, he found that the app located him in the Union Territory of J-K, rather than GB. He further stated that the officials in Pakistan should take "serious cognisance" of this matter as India "might have influenced Twitter to change GB's geotagging".
Another Twitter user, Karim Shah Nizari also reported that he can't add Pakistan's location to his tweets. "The only option we are getting is Jammu and Kashmir." Nizari told Dawn that he was based in the Yasin Valley of Ghizer district, but the Twitter algorithm was showing him tweets from India on his feed. Users in GB said the social media platform has "disrespected the status of Gilgit-Baltistan" and called it an attack on the region's identity, Dawn reported. (with ANI inputs)
