Users across Pakistan experienced difficulties accessing social media platforms on Sunday, despite claims by the IT minister that internet services were “100 per cent” operational.
Reports highlighted disruptions in platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and TikTok, with users unable to download media files, including voice messages and videos.
A noticeable dip in internet speed was reported, impacting connectivity nationwide. Neither the Ministry of IT & Telecommunication nor the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) commented on the disruptions.
Sources linked the issues to a surge in politically charged content as PTI supporters criticized the government’s handling of protests in Islamabad.
A source in the IT ministry described “political attacks through social media” as cyber threats aimed at destabilizing national integrity.
The trend aligns with previous slowdowns of platforms like YouTube, X, and TikTok during PTI’s virtual public activities. However, Minister of State for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja dismissed complaints, stating there was no widespread issue with internet services.
Speaking to a private news channel, Ms. Khawaja said concerns about an internet firewall were exaggerated and clarified that Pakistan’s web management system has been operational for a decade.
She added that any platform restrictions were issued by the Ministry of Interior for national security concerns, noting that over 100 soldiers had been martyred in the past month.
The minister also defended the continued ban on social media platform X, imposed in February for national security reasons, stating it is used by only 2% of Pakistanis. She dismissed suggestions that the government sought to suppress dissent, highlighting that major platforms like Facebook and TikTok remain operational.
On VPN usage, the minister confirmed there are no immediate plans to block unregistered Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). While the government had earlier asked users to register VPNs by November 30, the deadline appears to have been deferred due to legal constraints. Businesses and freelancers were encouraged to continue registering VPNs to ensure uninterrupted access.
Despite government assurances, tools such as the Internet Outage Detection and Analysis (IODA) and Downdetector reported significant disruptions. IODA, which monitors internet connectivity in real time, noted restricted access to Google services between Saturday night and Sunday evening. The data indicated abnormal traffic patterns, pointing to restricted internet usage during key time slots.
A network expert explained that while Pakistan’s Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) routes remained stable, disruptions in traffic to Google services suggested targeted restrictions.
The government’s narrative and the technical data appear at odds, raising questions about the nature and intent of these internet disruptions.
