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Pakistanis flood Twitter with jibes as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram face global outage 

Screenshot of a tweet by Twitter's official account saying: “hello literally everyone,” on Oct. 4, 2021. (Photo courtesy: Social Media)
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Updated 05 October 2021
SABAH BANO MALIK 
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Pakistanis flood Twitter with jibes as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram face global outage 

  • Facebook faced global outage on Monday that prevented company’s 3.5 billion users from accessing its services 
  • Pakistan Twitter did what Pakistan Twitter does best: have a laugh and turn to humor to make the most of the situation
Updated 05 October 2021
SABAH BANO MALIK 

RAWALPINDI: As Facebook Inc. faced a nearly six-hour outage on Monday that prevented the company’s 3.5 billion users from accessing services such as WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger, social media users, including in Pakistan, flooded to Twitter to post jibes against its rivalling platforms. 

Twitter opened up the fun with a tweet saying: “hello literally everyone.” 

In one of the day’s most popular tweets, video streaming company Netflix shared a meme from its new hit show “Squid Game” captioned “When Instagram & Facebook are down,” that showed a person labeled “Twitter” holding up a character on the verge of falling labeled “everyone.”

Pakistan Twitter too did what Pakistan Twitter does best – have a laugh and turn to humor to make the most of the situation, with hundreds of thousands of tweets about the outage popping up on the site overnight.

Twitter’s resident funny person @Mahobilli posted a meme of other apps giving Twitter the stink eye in the form of a grumpy cat.

With Whatsapp down, major teleco firm Jazz turned to Twitter to remind people of a service that was always reliable: “3 letters: S M S.”

Many tweeps also poked fun at the government, asking how it was being run since Whatsapp was down, referring to ubiquitous Pakistani jokes that politics was done mostly on social media now.

Others decided to poke a little fun at ‘slow’ Internet providers in Pakistan with Twitter user @Arhuml92 writing, “PTCL users still don’t know Facebook is down.”

PTCL, a telecom based in Pakistan, quickly sent out a reassuring message to its users: “WhatsApp and Facebook services are down globally and we assure you that there is no issue on our end.”

Twitter user @ashaqeens wrote in response: “PTCL really said ‘it’s not my mistake this time please stop yelling at me.”

Others quipped about how the outage was impacting their lives. 

Islamabad police woman Amna Baig said: “Doing actual policing now that SM [social media] is down.”

Sports journalist Faizan Lakhani shared a popular gif of a frustrated, bored boy, saying admins of popular WhatsApp groups suddenly had nothing to do.

Journalist Safia Mahmood wrote, “bro whatsapp, facebook, insta down… how do i tell my fam I’m alive.”


 

Topics: Pakistan WhatsApp Twitter Facebook

Pakistan’s Lahore marks Basant festival after government lifts decades-old ban on kite flying

Updated 5 sec ago
Kashif Imran 
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Pakistan’s Lahore marks Basant festival after government lifts decades-old ban on kite flying

  • Pakistan’s Punjab province outlawed Basant in 2000s after authorities linked metal-coated kite strings and celebratory gunfire to multiple deaths and injuries
  • The three-day festivities began after midnight on Thursday as residents gathered on brightly lit rooftops to fly colorful kites to welcome the cultural festival
Updated 5 sec ago
Kashif Imran 

ISLAMABAD: The eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on Friday welcomed the return of Basant spring festival after the government this year lifted a more than two-decade-old ban on kite flying for a period three days, with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz urging masses to follow precautions.

Provincial officials, including Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari, were seen flying kites in videos widely shared online. Meanwhile, the prices of air tickets from various Pakistani cities to Lahore have skyrocketed during the three days of the festival as more and more people try to join the celebrations after over a 20-year-hiatus.

Basant, once a vibrant tradition signaling the arrival of spring with colorful kites and rooftop festivities, was outlawed in Pakistan’s Punjab province in the 2000s after authorities linked metal-coated kite strings and celebratory gunfire to multiple deaths and injuries.

The government of CM Nawaz this year allowed Basant festivities in the provincial capital of Lahore, Pakistan’s cultural heart, on Feb. 6-8, but issued an extensive safety plan regarding kite materials and motorcyclists and pedestrians to avoid any untoward incident.

Commuters ride past a large model of a kite celebrating the Basant festival in Lahore on February 3, 2026. (AFP)

The three-day festivities began after midnight on Thursday as residents of Lahore gathered on their brightly lit rooftops along with family, friends and guests visiting from other cities and abroad to fly colorful kites to welcome the return of Basant.

“Kites return to the skies of Lahore as Basant comes alive again after 25 years,” CM Nawaz said on X. “A celebration of culture, color, and community! Let’s enjoy the festivities together responsibly, follow all safety SOPs (standard operating procedures), and make this Basant safe for everyone.”

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) this week forecast favorable weather conditions for kite flying in Lahore on Feb. 6-8, marked by light westerly winds blowing at speeds of 10–15 kilometers an hour.

Authorities have distributed 1 million safety rods among motorcyclists through designated safety points across Lahore, with spending on the initiative crossing Rs110 million ($392,000), according to local media reports. To enforce regulations and manage traffic flow, around 100 road safety camps have been set up in the city, staffed by teams from the district administration, traffic police and rescue services.

In addition, the Punjab government has launched a free shuttle service to reduce traffic congestion and promote safer travel via 695 buses deployed across Lahore.

Topics: Basant Pakistan Lahore Kite flying

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