Pakistan: Internet services down amid Imran Khan's Tehreek-e-Insaf 'virtual power show'

The Internet services in Pakistan faced nationwide disruption as people complained about difficulties accessing social media platforms, Dawn reported citing Internet monitor Netblocks. This comes amid the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) organised a “virtual power show” today through social media to energise its supporters ahead of the upcoming polls, Dawn reported. It also added that the rally was being organised in an attempt to overcome an ‘unspoken ban’ on public gatherings and rallies. “Live metrics show a nation-scale disruption to social media platforms across #Pakistan, including X, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube,” Netblocks said in a statement. However, the online event encountered disruptions, with users reporting difficulties accessing social media platforms in Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad after 8 pm. Internet services were also reported to be slow, the report added.NetBlocks, an internet tracking agency, observed a “nation-scale disruption to social media platforms across #Pakistan, including X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. “The online gathering, primarily broadcast on YouTube, garnered viewership of 72,487 within minutes of commencement, reaching 89,190 half-an-hour later. The viewership fluctuated between 70,000 to 80,000 for an hour before dropping to 53,000 after two hours, Dawn reported. PTI claimed over one million real-time viewers on YouTube and 124,000 new channel subscribers within 90 minutes. Despite the disruptions, the party asserted its success in reaching a vast audience. During the online event, former minister Taimur Khan Jhagra highlighted former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s achievements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, emphasising the health card scheme. Shahbaz Gill, Imran Khan’s former chief of staff, claimed disruptions on YouTube and ‘X’ aimed to hinder the public meeting transmission. Former KP health minister Atif Khan praised Imran Khan for involving young people in politics and asserted his loyalty to the country. Speaking about his party founder, he said the country and the army “belong to him and no one has the right to question his loyalty towards the country,” Dawn reported. Zulfi Bukhari, another PTI leader, addressed the disruptions in internet transmission, linking them to efforts to associate the party with the May 9 riots. PTI Women Wing President Kanwal Shauzab expressed missing Imran Khan’s presence and credited him for empowering women in politics. Former federal minister Zartaj Gul highlighted challenges faced by supporters but reiterated unwavering support for Imran Khan, emphasising his understanding of foreign policy and the economy. “We will live and die with Imran Khan,” she said, Dawn reported. Earlier on May 9, when violent protests broke out after Imran Khan’s arrest, the PTA confirmed that it had suspended mobile broadband across the country on the interior ministry’s instructions. Netblocks had said access to Twitter, Facebook and YouTube was restricted across Pakistan amid PTI chief Imran Khan’s arrest on that day from the Islamabad High Court’s premises in the Al-Qadir Trust case. Earlier in July, Pakistan was ranked third in the world over the imposition of internet restrictions in the first half of 2023, Dawn reported. It further cited a report by Surfshark, a virtual private network company headquartered in Lithuania, and stated that a half-year analysis of internet shutdowns based on the Internet Shutdown Tracker revealed that Pakistan was responsible for three of the 42 new restrictions worldwide that were imposed following Imran’s arrest. At the time, access to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube was restricted in the country. At the same time, several temporary cellular network disruptions were also witnessed across the country for several days afterwards, Dawn reported. With inputs from agencies.