Islamabad, In a surprising turn of events, a nationwide disruption of social media platforms unfolded in Pakistan during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) virtual fundraising telethon. The incident, reported by internet monitoring agency Netblocks, affected major platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, presenting a scale of disruption rarely witnessed during political activities.
Netblocks Director Alp Toker described the disruption as unprecedented on a nation-scale, comparing it to measures taken by Venezuela to limit opposition speeches and rallies. The outage occurred as PTI, led by the persecuted former Prime Minister Imran Khan, initiated its election fundraising telethon.
This occurrence follows a similar incident last month, where internet outages were reported during a PTI virtual power show. As the PTI announced its virtual fundraising telethon and manifesto launch, users across the country reported difficulty accessing social media platforms, coupled with sluggish internet services.
Zulfi Bukhari, a prominent figure in PTI, attributed the internet shutdown to an attempt to hinder the party’s fundraising efforts. PTI officials labeled the incident as “absolutely shameful” and called for the resignation of the Minister of Information Technology, holding them responsible for the ongoing damage to the Pakistani public.
The party expressed frustration, with leader Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra pointing out the recurring theme of internet shutdowns during PTI’s online events. The impact of such disruptions raises concerns about the state’s role in limiting communication channels during crucial political activities.
Surfshark, a virtual private network company, highlighted in a report that Pakistan was responsible for three out of 42 new global internet restrictions imposed after the arrest of Imran Khan. The Surfshark report placed Pakistan third, following Iran and India, in leading countries that imposed internet restrictions during the first half of 2023. It emphasized Asia as the focal point for most internet shutdowns.
