Pakistan Suspends WhatsApp 1y3m5d Facebook, Twitter, Other Social Media Platforms Following Violent Protests

Pakistani government said “access to social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube and Telegram) may be blocked”. 3m3bl

By Press Trust of India | Updated: 16 April 2021 14:41 IST

Pakistan Suspends WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Other Social Media Platforms Following Violent Protests

WhatsApp and other social media platforms have been blocked from 11am to 3pm PST (GMT+5) 5zy5z

Highlights

Protests were to force Pakistan to expel the French ambassador
The contention is a blasphemous caricature published last year in
Seven people died and 300 policemen were injured in the violent protests

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Pakistan has temporarily suspended the services of social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp to stop their use to organise demonstrations following violent protests by a radical religious group that has now been banned by the government.

The government banned Tehreek-i-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) on Thursday following three days of violent protest by it to force the government to expel the French ambassador over a blasphemous caricature published in last year.

The TLP had launched the country-wide protest on Monday after the arrest of its chief Saad Hussain Rizvi. The TLP ers clashed with the law enforcement agencies in several towns and cities earlier this week, leaving seven persons dead and over 300 policemen injured.

Your WhatsApp Could Be Suspended by Anyone. Here's How

To stop the protests after Friday prayers, the Interior Ministry directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to suspend social media services for four hours from 11 am to 3 pm PST (GMT+5).

The PTA said in a notification that “complete access to social media platforms (Telegram) may be blocked”.

The reason for the suspension of the services was not stated by the PTA but official sources said that it was feared that protesters could use social media to organise demonstrations.

Suspension of internet and mobile phone services is a common practice in Pakistan to forestall protests and acts of terrorism.

But this time only social media has been particularly targeted as the TLP was reportedly using it effectively against the government action. On Thursday, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed warned the TLP against using YouTube to propaganda videos.

The TLP came to prominence in November 2017 when it staged a sit-in at the Faizabad interchange near Islamabad and cut off the capital from the old international airport.

Pakistan Muslims League-Nawaz (PML-N) was in the government then and Imran Khan, the current prime minister, and his Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party had ed the protest.

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