A widespread internet outage in Pakistan has disrupted access to major online platforms including YouTube, Meta (formerly Facebook), and Google, coinciding with an online gathering organized by Imran Khan‘s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), termed as the ‘virtual jalsa’.
Reports emerged of a significant internet disruption affecting users across Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad, starting around 8 pm, leading to difficulties in accessing prominent social media platforms, as reported by Dawn News. The outage was corroborated by internet monitoring services which indicated a surge in reported access issues within Pakistan for several major social media sites.
According to Downdetector, an internet outage tracker, users attempting to access YouTube, Meta, and Google Services encountered slow-loading websites. Over 1,000 YouTube users in Pakistan reported issues with the platform’s website, application, and video streaming. Similarly, complaints regarding Google services also surfaced, with 59% related to Google search, 36% concerning issues with the company’s website, and 5% tied to Google Drive.
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… pic.twitter.com/cjZgwJuMtS
— Human Rights Council of Pakistan (@HRCPOfficial) December 17, 2023
Netblocks, an internet watchdog, highlighted that the disruption coincided with a significant PTI virtual assembly that commenced at 9 pm. PTI leader Taimur Jhagra and former finance minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa acknowledged the internet problems coinciding with the online event, as reported by The Dawn.
The outage wasn’t confined to specific platforms; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube were all affected, impacting millions of users across Pakistan, as confirmed by NetBlocks. Users resorted to VPN services to circumvent the disruption and access social media and streaming platforms.
While the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) didn’t officially acknowledge any blocking of social media, Netblocks confirmed restrictions on access to Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube throughout Pakistan.
This incident adds to the recurrent instances where Pakistani authorities have imposed internet restrictions. The disruption of social media and internet services hampers the free flow of information in the digital era, reflecting government actions aimed at suppressing dissent by disconnecting these major social platforms.
