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The PTI on Friday accused federal authorities of “blocking” its websites in Pakistan and sought an explanation for the alleged action.
Facing the absence of its emblematic ‘bat’ symbol for the upcoming elections, the PTI has positioned its leaders as independent candidates with distinct electoral symbols.
To mitigate confusion among voters and enhance access to election-related information, the party inaugurated an online portal on its website insaf.pk, along with a “back-up site” pticandidates.com. Additionally, a feature was introduced allowing voters to message Imran Khan’s official Facebook account for information about PTI-backed candidates.
Hello @murtazasolangi @umarsaif and @PTAofficialpk , can you explain why PTI’s websites are blocked in Pakistan?
People are still getting symbol information from Imran Khan’s Facebook page so the question is what purpose is this block serving? https://t.co/JAQ3B3FfGd
— PTI (@PTIofficial) January 26, 2024
Attempts by MM News to access PTI’s websites on Friday were unsuccessful through Wi-Fi or mobile data, unless a Virtual Private Network (VPN) was utilized.
The party’s official account addressed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), interim information minister Murtaza Solangi, and interim IT minister Umar Saif, questioning, “Can you explain why PTI’s websites are blocked in Pakistan?” The post highlighted that people were still obtaining symbol information from Imran Khan’s Facebook page, raising the question of the purpose of the alleged block.
Dear @umarsaif, can you tell Pakistanis why the websites of country’s most popular political party is blocked by you?
You will not be in this position forever. Don’t act like God for your own sake. #RiggingAgainstPTI #PakistanUnderFascism
cc @TheEconomist @hrw @_FAFEN @Anfrel… pic.twitter.com/BCf70w8VZz
— Jibran Ilyas (@agentjay2009) January 25, 2024
Jibran Ilyas, a member of the PTI’s social media team, also directed a question to Minister Saif, asking, “Can you tell Pakistanis why the websites of the country’s most popular political party are blocked by you?”
This development follows the emergence of a counterfeit web portal, resembling one launched by the party, disseminating incorrect information to voters about PTI-backed candidates.
It’s noteworthy that in recent weeks, there have been several nationwide internet outages coinciding with the party’s online events. The most recent interruption on January 20 occurred an hour before the PTI’s “virtual power show.” Earlier disruptions were reported on December 17 and January 7, prompting the party to call on the Supreme Court to address the issue of internet suspension.