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Published 10 May, 2023 09:59am

Internet, social media disrupted in Pakistan after Imran Khan’s arrest

Authorities in Pakistan have restricted access to social media platforms, cable, and the internet amid violence in the country generated by the arrest of PTI chairman Imran Khan.

NetBlocks – the global internet monitor – also confirmed the disruption of Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube on multiple internet providers in Pakistan. “Total internet shutdowns have been observed in some regions.”

The monitor also shared details of the real-time network data highlighting the disruption in effect on some but not all mobile and fixed-line internet providers in Pakistan.

The study is taken from a sample size of 120 measurements from 60 vantage points across Pakistan.

Moreover, Amnesty International termed the suspension as an act against “freedom of expression”

“This restricts people’s access to information and freedom of expression,” Amnesty International said. “We call upon the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority and Interior Ministry to immediately reverse this ban.”

It is worth mentioning here that the PTI chairman was arrested from Islamabad High Court on Tuesday in the Al Qadir Trust case.

PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi told Aaj News that the PTI chief was taken into custody when he was in the court’s diary room for his biometrics. He claimed that Khan’s arrest was part of the “London plan”.

His arrest triggered nationwide protests from the PTI workers, which continued for several hours.

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