Internet Outage Disrupts Online Services in Pakistan Amid PTI Virtual Jalsa

A widespread internet outage in Pakistan has left citizens grappling with difficulties accessing major online services just ahead of a highly anticipated virtual gathering hosted by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The outage has impacted popular platforms like YouTube, Meta, and Google, sparking concerns about the resilience of the country’s digital infrastructure.

Reports from major cities like Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad indicate that internet users have been experiencing disruptions since 8:00 pm local time. Several mainstream news outlets confirm the challenges faced by citizens in accessing social media platforms.

According to Downdetector’s data, users attempting to connect to YouTube, Meta, and Google Services encountered slow loading speeds and accessibility issues. Around 9:30 pm, more than 1,000 YouTube users in Pakistan reported issues, with 51% experiencing difficulties accessing the website, 35% reporting app crashes or poor performance, and 14% facing streaming problems.

Google Services, particularly the widely used Google search, were also affected, with 59% of complaints related to search issues. Additionally, 36% of users reported problems with the company’s website, and 5% encountered difficulties with Google Drive.

The timing of the internet outage has raised eyebrows, occurring just before the PTI’s virtual assembly scheduled for 9:00 pm. Netblocks, an internet watchdog, highlighted this temporal correlation, leading to speculation about a potential connection between the outage and the political event.

This however, is not a novel occurrence. During live streams of his speeches on YouTube, disruptions to the platform’s services have occurred multiple times. In May 2022, there were instances of internet disruptions throughout Pakistan coinciding with the mass rallies led by the ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan. This tactic has become a recurring strategy, particularly evident in the months leading up to the attempted assassination of the former Prime Minister and even when he was unlawfully arrested in May this year.

It is absolutely despicable that in an era that boasts connectivity and open dialogue, we are witnessing a flagrant suppression of free speech and that too, on a national scale. The intentional interference with social media platforms in Pakistan, occurring right before a crucial virtual assembly organized by the beleaguered opposition leader Imran Khan’s party, PTI, represents a clear infringement on the basic right to self-expression. This occurrence strongly suggests an effort to quash dissent and manipulate the narrative.

The recent internet outage in Pakistan has already ignited a firestorm of criticism from human rights organizations and media outlets. Human Rights Council of Pakistan states: 

In the constitution and law of Pakistan, freedom of expression is freedom of expression. After the schedule of general elections, every political party and individual of Pakistan has the constitutional freedom to hold their political rallies and processions. It means that democratic principles are not being implemented in Pakistan and basic political rights are becoming rigid. It is the responsibility of Election Commission, State (Government of Pakistan) and Constitutional Institutions to provide equal living playing field to all political parties for elections.

The audacity of this blatant suppression is not just an affront to the citizens it seeks to control; it lays bare the regime’s utter incompetence in maintaining a resilient digital infrastructure. The futile attempts to stifle dissent not only fail domestically but also thrust the regime into the harsh spotlight of international scrutiny, inviting nothing but humiliation and disgust.

Attempting to silence voices of opposition demonstrates a lack of understanding on the part of the current regime, as it mistakenly believes that crushing dissent is a viable strategy. However, the world is not blind to these authoritarian tactics. The feeble attempts to curtail free speech only serve to underscore the regime’s fear of open dialogue and free expression.

On the global stage, where information flows freely, the regime’s suppression is not just a local matter; it becomes an international spectacle. The world watches with a mix of disappointment and condemnation as the regime desperately clings to outdated methods of control. In an era where openness and freedom are valued more than ever, these authoritarian maneuvers stand as relics of an oppressive past.

Written by: Umer Azad