F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: The government on Monday finally started restoring the services of social media platforms — Twitter, YouTube and Facebook — across the country after almost a seven-day suspension, sources within the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) confirmed.
The regulatory authority had suspended mobile broadband and restricted access to Twitter, Facebook and YouTube after violent protests sparked in the country when the Rangers personnel arrested Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) — acting on National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) warrant on May 9.
At least 10 people were killed and dozens of others sustained injuries during the days-long protests.
The internet services were suspended on the recommendations of the interior ministry — the longest such continuous shutdown in a country that often suspends communications as a tool to quell unrest.
The internet suspension has resulted in an approximate revenue loss of Rs820 million for telecom operators, reports have suggested, a huge dent to the sector, as the economy remains in a fragile state.
Besides, the government had also blocked major social media platforms including Twitter and Facebook, while YouTube services were slower to control the spread of disinformation and panic among the masses due to the spread of “unwanted information”.
