The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party leaders and human rights activists in Pakistan have condemned disruption of social media networking sites including X formerly Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube amid the virtual political gathering of the party.
The disruption started reporting shortly after 8 pm, with users in major cities like Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad experiencing difficulties accessing social media platforms.
Netblocks, an internet tracking agency, highlighted a nation-scale disruption, drawing attention to the virtual power show organized by the PTI that commenced at 9 pm.
Former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa finance minister and PTI leader, Taimur Jhagra, observed the correlation between the internet issues and the online rally.
Users voiced their frustration over slow internet services, prompting concerns about the impact on millions of subscribers and businesses.
In the political gathering that has seen the presence of 34,500 viewers so far, Zulfikar Bukhari, PTI Central Leader, categorically condemned the disruption of social media platforms. He stated that if Imran Khan had done anything wrong, the authorities would not have needed to resort to such actions today.
Zartaj Gul, another PTI leader, said their rights were being trampled in Pakistan and disruption of social media sites was one of its manifestations.
Lawyer and human rights activist Jibran Nasir criticized the move, stating, “They actually messed with the internet affecting millions of subscribers and hundreds of thousands of businesses only to oppose PTI virtual rally. This is beyond madness.”
Activist Usama Khilji condemned the disruption as an infringement on Pakistani citizens’ right to access information and freedom of association.
The incident echoes a previous disruption on May 9, where the PTA confirmed the suspension of mobile broadband across the country following the interior ministry’s instructions. Netblocks reported restrictions on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube access during PTI chief Imran Khan’s arrest.
