The situation regarding internet connectivity in Pakistan, particularly the ongoing outage of X (formerly Twitter), remains a significant challenge even a week after the conclusion of the general elections. The outage, which began on February 17th at around 10 pm, has persisted for over 36 hours, with only a brief return to normalcy for 30 minutes the following day.
The outage coincides with the confession made by Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaqat Ali Chattha, who admitted to his role in manipulating election results. Chattha’s confession, where he claimed to have personally supervised the alteration of 70,000 votes, has sparked outrage and prompted concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.
Also Read: Rawalpindi RPO Takes Leave Amidst Poll Rigging Allegations
According to reports from cyber security watchdog NetBlocks, X/Twitter has been restricted in Pakistan for 24 hours, marking the longest in a series of countrywide outages. Downdetector, a website outage tracker, has recorded numerous X outages across the country, affecting both the app and website. Users have reported issues with loading posts and accessing web pages on the platform.
The ongoing internet disruptions add to a series of similar incidents experienced in Pakistan in recent months, particularly following the 2024 general election. Last month, disturbances were reported on various platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Google services, and the internet service provider PTCL.
Despite the widespread frustration among users, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has remained silent on the matter, refraining from issuing any official statements regarding the ongoing internet outages and restrictions. The lack of communication from regulatory authorities further exacerbates concerns about internet freedom and access to information in the country.
