The Pakistan government has complained to Twitter about a News9 Plus expose on human rights violations in Balochistan.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) objected to December 25, 2022, docu-series saying the story ‘Balochistan: Bangladesh 2.0’ allegedly violated the laws of Pakistan.

Twitter contacted Aditya Raj Kaul, Executive Editor of News9 Plus on February 5 about the story. Kaul is the director of the docu-series for which a News9 Plus unit traveled across Balochistan braving obstacles from the Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps.

The two-part series describes the rise in alleged state-sponsored killings of the Baloch people. Strategic experts and geo-political observers have labeled the restive province a second Bangladesh, a reference to East Pakistan which broke away as an independent country in 1971.

The spike in violence is also attributed to anger by Baloch rebels over China’s investment plans in the province. Beijing continues to expand investments in its China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which passes through the province. As Balochistan’s resentment grows over the Chinese shunning locals, violent attacks against Chinese nationals have seen a surge over the last few years

“We have been investigating the human rights abuse and persecution of the Baloch people by the Pakistan Army and the ISI. While reporting the story, we spoke to activists, journalists, and common people across the province collecting primary evidence of the gruesome torture and its conversion into a virtual Chinese colony. Pakistan’s objection to our Balochistan series is an attack on freedom of expression and only vindicates the questions that we have raised”, said Aditya Raj Kaul.

Twitter has rejected the Pakistan government’s request to gag the News9 Plus story and upheld freedom of journalistic expression on social media.

In October 2022, Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) constituted a team to trace and arrest social media voices and journalists including Aditya Raj Kaul for the News9 Plus story ‘Intercontinental Terrorist’ on Mumbai 26/11 attacks mastermind and ISI asset Sajid Mir. Pakistan’s attempts to silence world media only prove Islamabad’s desperation to hide facts and keep Balochistan away from the global media glare.