A new report has ranked Pakistan third in the world for imposing the highest number of internet restrictions during the first half of 2023.
The report was released by Netherlands-based VPN provider Surfshark last week. The firm tracks internet restrictions imposed by governments in different countries through a tool called the Internet Shutdown Tracker.
“Iran, India, and Pakistan were the top three countries leading in new internet restrictions for the first half of 2023,” according to Surfshark.
The report highlights 42 new restrictions registered globally in the first half of 2023.
“In the first half of 2023, Pakistan was third in the world in new Internet restrictions, with 3 recorded cases,” Surfshark said. “These were sparked following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.”
The report cited the violent protests that flared up following the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan on May 9. The former premier was detained outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in the Al-Qadir Trust case, which led to episodes of widespread violence and instability across the country.
Shortly after Khan’s arrest, reports started emerging of connectivity blackouts. In the wake of the protests, leading social media platforms — including Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook — turned inaccessible to a large number of users. The government’s move to block access to major online platforms drew a strong reaction from digital rights defenders and human rights organisations.
Many users are unable to access Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Read: https://t.co/hOMBzTVSmY pic.twitter.com/20AAXw51S6
— Digital Rights Monitor (@DRM_News) May 10, 2023
The disruptions were recorded in major cities, including Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore, and were later confirmed by NetBlocks, which suggested “total internet shutdowns in some regions”. Several business and civil society organisations denounced the shutdown and called on the government to restore the internet immediately.
Internet services were suspended on Tuesday following PTI Chief Imran Khan’s arrest, which led to violent protests across the country.
Read: https://t.co/VwJ81342dh pic.twitter.com/SYgU8ZcMq9
— Digital Rights Monitor (@DRM_News) May 11, 2023
It took three days for mobile broadband services to be restored completely, according to the report. The shutdown had a major impact on online services, including news business and mobility apps. “Nationwide restrictions are the strictest form of internet shutdowns and the most economically devastating,” said Surfshark.
According to Surfshark, Asia recorded 71 per cent of all shutdowns imposed globally during the first half of 2023. Iran leads the list with 14 instances of internet restrictions, followed by India with nine recorded cases.
In the first half of 2022, however, the number of government-imposed internet restrictions worldwide were reported to be 61.
