ISLAMABAD: Services of social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp and Telegram, were partially restored in Pakistan after blockage to ‘maintain public order’.
Earlier in the day, the Ministry of Interior directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to temporarily block access to social media platforms from 11am to 3pm. “It is requested that immediate action may be taken on the subject matter,” the ministry said.
Shortly after, the PTA released an official statement saying, “In order to maintain public order and safety, access to certain social media applications has been restricted temporarily.”
Although the notification issued by the interior ministry did not mention a reason for the suspension, the development comes after several days of unrest in the country due to protests by the recently proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).
Detained TLP chief Saad Rizvi, in a handwritten note shared by Special Assistant on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill on Thursday, urged his followers to maintain law and order and avoid blocking roads and highways.
The protests, organised in different cities, also caused massive traffic jams and distress to the citizens. On Thursday, the government had slapped a ban on the TLP. A notification declaring TLP as a proscribed organisation was issued by the Ministry of Interior shortly after the federal cabinet approved a summary to ban the party.
