'Unspoken ban': Here is why Internet faces disruption in Pakistan amid virtual gathering of Imran Khan's party

Islamabad, December 18

In an attempt to overcome an ‘unspoken ban’ on public gatherings and rallies, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) organised a “virtual power show” on Sunday through social media to energise its supporters ahead of the upcoming polls, Dawn reported.

However, the online event encountered disruptions, with users reporting difficulties accessing social media platforms in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad after 8 pm.

Internet services were also reported to be slow, the report added.

NetBlocks, an internet tracking agency, observed a “nation-scale disruption to social media platforms across #Pakistan, including X, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube”.

The online gathering, primarily broadcast on YouTube, garnered viewership of 72,487 within minutes of commencement, reaching 89,190 half-an-hour later.

The viewership fluctuated between 70,000 and 80,000 for an hour before dropping to 53,000 after two hours, Dawn reported.

PTI claimed over one million real-time viewers on YouTube and 124,000 new channel subscribers within 90 minutes. Despite the disruptions, the party asserted its success in reaching a vast audience.

During the online event, former minister Taimur Khan Jhagra highlighted former prime minister Imran Khan’s achievements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, emphasising the health card scheme.

Shahbaz Gill, Imran Khan’s former chief of staff, claimed that disruptions on YouTube and ‘X’ aimed to hinder the public meeting transmission.