The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority confirmed that it had suspended mobile broadband nationwide following orders from the interior ministry.
Simultaneously, Netblocks, an organization monitoring internet disruptions, reported restricted access to Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube in Pakistan after PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s earlier arrest at the Islamabad High Court premises in the Al-Qadir Trust case.
Read: PTI Chief Imran Khan Arrested at Islamabad Judicial Complex
In its report, the organization also noted “total internet shutdowns” in some regions. “Real-time network data reveal the disruption impacting some, but not all, mobile and fixed-line internet providers in Pakistan at the time of writing. The analysis comes from an initial sample size of 60 measurements from 30 points across Pakistan,” it added.
The report suggested that a virtual private network could bypass “government internet censorship measures.” Netblocks advised against using network disruptions and social media restrictions to limit political speech, given their disproportionate impact on fundamental rights, including freedom of expression and assembly.
