Teaching Note: The case of X/Twitter in Pakistan: regulating social media platforms Available to Purchase

Ata Tarar, the Minister of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB) in Pakistan, faced a difficult decision: whether to maintain the ban on X/twitter imposed by the previous unelected government or not. Ata Tarar assumed office in March 2024 after the violent general elections that took place in February 2024. He was fully aware that the ban had both negative and positive repercussions for his party’s government. As the government was striving to stabilize the country both politically and economically, the social media activists could exacerbate existing political polarization and undermine the investors’ confidence. He was fully aware of the importance of...