Pakistan blocks social media platforms, restricts internet
The move comes as violence erupts in several cities following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Pakistani authorities have restricted access to Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms amid rising violence in the country following the arrest of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan.
βIn addition, total internet shutdowns have been observed in some regions,β NetBlocks, the global internet monitor, said Tuesday.
Amnesty International said officials from Pakistan’s telecommunications authority told the UK-based rights group that regulators had blocked social media and internet services had been suspended in Islamabad and other cities.
“This limits people’s access to information and freedom of expression,” said Amnesty International. “We call on the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority and Ministry of Home Affairs to immediately reverse this ban.”
Khan’s arrest sparked violent demonstrations by his angry supporters who clashed with police in several major cities.
Months of crisis
The former prime minister was dragged out of court on Tuesday after appearing there to face charges in multiple corruption cases.
His arrest followed months of political crisis and came hours after the powerful military reprimanded the former international cricketer for alleging a senior officer was involved in a plot to assassinate him.
Some protesters took their anger out on the army, storming the corps commander’s residence in Lahore and laying siege to a gate of the army headquarters in the garrison town of Rawalpindi.
Police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse Khan supporters in Karachi and Lahore, while protesters blocked roads in the capital Islamabad, Peshawar and other cities.
Khan has faced dozens of charges since his removal β tactics analysts have said successive Pakistani governments have silenced their opponents.
He could be barred from holding public office if convicted, which would bar him from elections scheduled for later this year.