Pakistani authorities restrict mobile communications and Internet in country
Pakistani flag (photo: Getty Images)
Pakistan has suspended mobile and internet services “in areas with security concerns”. The authorities fear protests in support of the former prime minister, who is currently in prison, reports the Associated Press.
In particular, the government and the Ministry of Interior published an announcement on social network X, which is banned in Pakistan. The authorities did not specify or say how long the suspension would last.
“Internet and mobile services will continue to operate as usual in the rest of the country,” the posts said.
Meanwhile, telecommunications company Nayatel sent out emails offering customers “reliable landline service” as a workaround in areas where cellular service has been suspended.
The newspaper writes that former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been in prison for over a year. More than 150 criminal cases have been opened against him. He remains popular, and his political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI for short, claims that these cases are politically motivated.
The politician's supporters are actively using social media to demand his release and are using platforms such as WhatsApp to share information, including details of the events.
It is known that Pakistan has already surrounded the capital Islamabad with cargo containers and blocked the main roads and highways that connect the city with PTI strongholds in the provinces of Punjab and Khyber-Punkhwa.
PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram said Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi was traveling to Islamabad in a convoy led by the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur.
“She cannot leave the party workers on their own,” said Akram.
In the eastern city of Lahore, police arrested PTI members as passers-by made their way through the barriers. In Peshawar, meanwhile, there was a celebratory mood, with PTI members dancing, drumming, and holding up photos of Khan as vehicles headed for Islamabad.
The US Embassy, for its part, issued a security alert for Americans in the capital, urging them to avoid large gatherings and warning that even “peaceful gatherings can turn violent.”
The AP writes that last month, authorities also suspended cell phone service in Islamabad and Rawalpindi to prevent a rally in support of Khan. The shutdown disrupted communication and affected daily services such as banking, taxi orders, and food delivery.
Blocking of X in Pakistan
The social network X (formerly Twitter) was banned in Pakistan in April 2024, although users had been experiencing problems since February. The Ministry of Interior explained that the decision was made for “national security reasons.”
“It is very pertinent to mention here that Twitter's failure to comply with the lawful directives of the Government of Pakistan and to address concerns about the misuse of its platform necessitated the ban,” the Interior Ministry said in a statement to the court.
