Pakistan faces week-long disruption on X following 'rigged election'
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Throughout last week, X has only been operational sporadically, and access has been inconsistent.
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Supporters of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's party 'Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf' chant slogans during a protest against suspected vote-rigging in some constituencies in the parliamentary elections, in Karachi, Pakistan, Sunday, 11 February 2024 (AP)
The nationwide disruption of the social media platform X in Pakistan reached its one-week milestone on Saturday, as digital rights monitors cautioned that the prolonged outages were suppressing dissent following the elections.
The platform experienced a shutdown last Saturday following a public acknowledgment of vote manipulation by a senior government official in the February 8 election.
Throughout last week, X has only been operational sporadically, and access has been inconsistent, contingent on the internet service provider.
"Pakistan's directed use of network shutdowns and restrictions to overtly target political parties and the reporting of election irregularities is unprecedented," Alp Toker of the NetBlocks web watchdog said, as quoted by AFP.
On Saturday, disruptions in the capital Islamabad, as well as in the megacities of Lahore and Karachi, were observed, as per AFP.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, led by the imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan, called for nationwide protests following the acknowledgment of vote-rigging last week.
"Protesting political parties have actively been using X for freedom of expression, access to information, to assemble online, and for other associated rights," said web monitor Bytes for All.
The disruption "restricts citizens' ability to engage in online discourse, share information, and express dissenting opinions," the organization said in a report released Friday.
Dive deeper
Leading up to the polling day, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) faced a crackdown that limited canvassing and compelled candidates to stand as independents. The party's campaign primarily shifted to the online realm, where social media activities were subjected to censorship through various nationwide blackouts affecting X, as well as platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.
The government attributed the outages to "technical difficulties". Despite the limitations, candidates supported by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secured more seats than any other party. However, the PTI has been reluctant to form alliances with rivals. Simultaneously, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) reached an official agreement last Tuesday to form a new government.
On election day, mobile internet services were suspended nationwide, with the Interior Ministry citing security concerns. This blackout, along with a substantial delay in releasing voting results, led to accusations of rigging.
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