Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir has grilled the regional head of social media platform, Twitter, for silencing voices of thousands of Kashmiri and Pakistani activists projecting the plight of the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

In a special hearing held at the Parliament House in Islamabad today (Tuesday), the committee chairman Shehryar Khan Afridi led the questioning of George Salama, who heads the Twitter regional office in the United Arab Emirates.

Shehryar Khan Afridi questioned Mr George about the Twitter policy on human rights and freedom of speech and whether Twitter regulations do not conform to the UN charter on freedom of speech and freedom of expression. 

George Salama, who attended the meeting through Zoom, said that Twitter has a specific policy and discourages hate speech and upholds freedom of expression.

Shehryar Afridi said two years back, Indian social media activists impersonating as Pakistanis were generating 80 tweets per minute from Indian cities to incite violence in Pakistan over the blasphemy issue.

He said the Twitter unfortunately has double standards as no action was taken against Indian agents posting tweets aimed at inciting hate and violence in Pakistan.

Shehryar Afridi said over eight million people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir are being silenced under influence of Indian employees of Twitter.