The Pakistani Army spokesperson has yet again held Twitter responsible for suspending users’ accounts. This comes after over 300 accounts were suspended in August for posting about the abrogation of Kashmir’s special status by the Indian parliament.
Miffed by the large number of Pakistani Twitter users’ accounts being suspended by the microblogging site, mostly for supporting Kashmiris, the military spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor has asked all those people to stay put.
In a Twitter post, the army spokesperson said authorities have taken up the matter with the microblogging site and issues will be resolved soon.
He wrote: "Pakistani users are facing problems on Twitter. Mostly on expressions in support of Kashmir. Accounts are being suspended on one pretext or the other. Authorities are in contact and issues will be resolved soon. Stay put as responsibe users to defeat all those involved in this."
A huge number of Pakistani nationals have been venting their ire on social media since the Indian parliament revoked the decades-old temporary special status of Jammu and Kashmir State on 5 August and bifurcated it later into two federally-administered Union Territories.
A number of accounts of Pakistani journalists, activists and even some of government officials were suspended in August, triggering outrage among the people.
On many occasions, the hashtag #StopSuspendingPakistanis gained momentum in the country in reaction to the suspended accounts.
In October, Major General Ghafoor had claimed the Pakistani Army has killed more than 60 Indian soldiers since 27 February during firing at the Line of Control - the de-facto border between the two countries.
The accounts of ordinary Kashmiris after the Indian move has continued to be difficult for international observers to obtain. Reports of human rights abuses, including arbitrary arrests, "disappearances" of Kashmiri youth, and barricading of "restive" regions continue to be released from the region. Leaders of Indian-occupied Kashmir, including the former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, are in judicial custody or under house arrest.
