A large number of social media users in Pakistan on Saturday night could not access platform X, formerly known as Twitter, as a London-based cybersecurity and Internet governance watchdog organization confirmed a “national-scale” disruption.
While it is not clear what led to the situation, social media shutdowns have mostly been witnessed in the country during periods of political unrest and volatility.
Political parties in Pakistan have raised allegations of election manipulation in the wake of the Feb. 8 general polls and called for protests.
Earlier in the day, a top bureaucrat held a news conference wherein he said he had altered results in election results in 13 national and 26 provincial constituencies by misusing his administrative powers.
Commissioner of Rawalpindi Division Liaquat Ali Chattha also accused the top election commission official and Pakistan’s chief justice of being part of the rigging process, generating debate on social media platforms.
“Live metrics show a new national-scale disruption to X/Twitter in #Pakistan amid escalating unrest and protests over allegations of election fraud, following a high-level resignation and public admission of vote manipulation by a senior election official,” Netblocks, the UK-based Internet watchdog said.
In the past, social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube have also faced restrictions, coinciding with political events, indicating a preemptive approach by authorities to curtail mobilization and dissemination of dissenting views.
Digital activists in Pakistan have objected to such developments and raised concerns about their impact on freedom of expression, access to information and the broader implications for civil liberties.
