As it commences its national election, Pakistan has temporarily halted mobile and internet services nationwide to address potential threats, a senior ministry announced. This decision comes in response to recent terrorist incidents, according to Pakistan’s interior ministry.
As reported by local journalists on X earlier on Thursday, internet access was still available via wired broadband connections. However, NetBlocks, an independent service monitoring outages, later mentioned that Pakistan began blocking internet services as well.
The voting period in Pakistan is currently open and will conclude at 5 p.m., but the interior ministry did not specify when mobile services will be restored.
While it’s not unheard of for countries to disable mobile networks and the internet on crucial days — governments in neighboring India, as well as Uganda and Ethiopia in Africa, have made similar moves in the past — a nationwide blockage is still highly unusual.
Advocates for free speech have, on previous occasions, criticized governments for excessive use of mobile network shutdowns. They argue that during political votes, maintaining access to information and communication is even more essential.
