WhatsApp is the latest casualty of censorship machine in Pakistan as global internet observer NetBlocks confirmed that the popular messaging service has been disrupted across the country.
According to the global internet monitoring organization NetBlocks, WhatsApp is currently inaccessible through most internet service providers in Pakistan, with its overall reachability at 0%. NetBlocks confirmed that restrictions on WhatsApp’s back-end systems align with user reports of difficulties in sharing media.
“Confirmed: Live metrics show WhatsApp backends have been restricted in #Pakistan corroborating reports of media sharing issues; the measure comes as authorities tighten security ahead of protests planned by opposition party PTI calling for the release of former PM Imran Khan,” NetBlocks said.
The timing of the disruptions corresponds with increased security measures ahead of a planned protest by the opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which is demanding the release of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is currently in custody.
Despite widespread outages, NetBlocks reported partial accessibility, with approximately 50% of servers linked to Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited still providing access to the app.
The disruptions were most severe in Punjab, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa experienced intermittent issues. Karachi faced the most significant impact in Sindh.
