Arrr! A mere moon from elections, Pakistan be settin' sail to tighten the grip on the treacherous social media waters, mateys!
2024-01-08
Arr, ye landlubbers be needin' a VPN app to lay yer hands on the disrupted social media services, fer the former prime minister o' Pakistan be raisin' a mighty online campaign from his cell. Here be all ye need to know, mateys!
Access to main social media platforms has been restricted in Pakistan since January 7, 2024, due to the online activities of the country's former prime minister Imran Khan. Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has been prevented from participating in the upcoming general elections, so they launched an online campaign to spread their manifesto and raise funds. As a result, internet access in Pakistan has been disrupted. However, many citizens have found ways to bypass the restrictions using VPN services.This is not the first time that Pakistan has implemented politically targeted network censorship. Last year, during protests over Khan's arrest, mobile internet connections and social media platforms were shut down. The founder of internet watchdog NetBlocks, Alp Toker, stated that Pakistan is one of the leaders in politically targeted network censorship. He compared the situation to Venezuela, where similar measures were taken against opposition leader Juan Guaido.
The Human Rights Council of Pakistan has criticized the restrictions, calling them a violation of international law. Despite the disruptions, citizens have still managed to attend PTI's online rally by using circumventing tools like VPNs. Proton VPN reported a 400% increase in sign-ups from Pakistan during this time.
The general elections in Pakistan, originally scheduled for November 2023, have been delayed to February 2024. Imran Khan, a former cricket star, was removed from office and subsequently charged with corruption. He denies all charges. The caretaker leader, Anwaar ul-Haq Kakar, is expected to oversee the vote for fair elections, but the recent restrictions on internet access raise doubts about the transparency of the process. PTI officials believe these actions are undermining democracy and transparency in Pakistan.