On Saturday, January 20, 2024, Pakistan experienced a nationwide disruption to major social media platforms like X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. This occurred amidst a virtual gathering organized by the opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Internet monitor Netblocks confirmed the nation-scale disruption at 7:12pm, noting its similarity to previous restrictions imposed during PTI events. Netblocks Director Alp Toker described the outage as “systematic” and “consistent with past restrictions.”
PTI responded to the incident, condemning the caretaker government for causing harm to Pakistani citizens. The party reiterated its virtual event would continue as planned, starting at 8pm. Users across major cities like Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad reported experiencing difficulties accessing social media platforms.
This incident marked the third nationwide internet disruption in a month, following similar ones during a PTI fundraising telethon on January 7 and a virtual power show on December 17.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) denied knowledge of the outage and claimed all platforms were active. However, telecom operators had previously expressed concerns about frequent internet outages on political grounds.
The nationwide social media disruption during the PTI virtual event raises concerns about freedom of expression, digital rights, and transparency in Pakistan’s political landscape. As investigations and debates continue, the impact of such restrictions on the country’s digital economy and international image remains to be seen.
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