“The decision to suspend telecommunications and mobile internet services on an election day is a blunt attack on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,” Livia Saccardi, the interim deputy director for South Asia at Amnesty International, said in a statement.

His reaction came after the government suspended the mobile phone services during the polling process in the country given recent incidents of terrorism in the country.

Almost every political party urged the government to restore the service, with the PPP approaching the Election Commission of Pakistan against the government’s decision.

“It is reckless to impede access to information as people head out to polling stations on the heels of devastating bomb blasts and what has been an intense crackdown on the opposition in the lead up to the elections in the country.”

The interim deputy director added that the restrictions on the dissemination of information, despite reassurances to the contrary from the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority and Election Commission of Pakistan, were in breach of people’s human rights at this critical time in Pakistan.

“Blanket shutdowns impacts people’s mobility, livelihood and ability to navigate through a difficult time further undermining their trust in authorities,” the statement said and called on the authorities of Pakistan to urgently lift all blanket restrictions on access to the internet to enable people’s access to timely information and report on any election-related matter throughout the polling process.