KARACHI: Former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said on Monday that “millions” attended its first-ever virtual rally last night, despite disruption on multiple social media platforms it said was caused by the caretaker government.
Pakistan experienced nationwide social media disruption on Sunday just as Khan’s party began its online rally, an event acknowledged by a PTI official and confirmed by the independent Internet watchdog NetBlocks.
The PTI has been striving to launch its election campaign in Khan’s absence, as the former prime minister remains currently incarcerated in a high-security prison in Rawalpindi after being convicted in a graft case in August. The PTI had announced a virtual public gathering on social media platform X, formally known as Twitter, in a post that had been shared by thousands of its followers.
“On PTI’s social media platforms, the initial viewership data for the #PTIVirtualJalsa revealed an audience in the millions, reflecting the widespread engagement with the event,” a press release by the party said.
The PTI said 1.4 million people witnessed the rally on Facebook, 1.2 million on YouTube while another 1.5 million attended the event on a space organized on X. The party said the virtual gathering saw participation from Pakistanis worldwide, with numerous overseas PTI chapters coordinating small gatherings and events to actively engage in the event.
“The PTI’s virtual jalsa dominated the top 5 trends in Pakistan, marking a significant online presence,” the party said, describing it as a “de facto referendum” by Pakistanis ahead of the upcoming general elections scheduled for February 8.
People in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad reported difficulty accessing social media platforms at about 8 p.m. on Sunday when the rally got underway, with additional complaints about disrupted Internet services.
“Live metrics show a nation-scale disruption to social media platforms across #Pakistan, including X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube,” NetBlocks said.
“The incident comes just ahead of a major virtual gathering organized by persecuted opposition leader Imran Khan’s party, PTI.”
Khan’s party accused the caretaker government of having a hand in the disruption on social media platforms, citing their leader’s popularity as the main reason for the move.
“The fear of Imran Khan’s popularity prompted the caretaker government to take drastic measures, including shutting down the Internet and slowing down social media platforms in various parts of Pakistan,” the party said.
A spokesperson of the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) acknowledged there were complaints of an Internet “slowdown” in some areas of the country.
“Complaints related to Internet slowdown in some areas of the country are being investigated,” PTA spokesperson Malahat Obaid told Arab News, adding the “overall situation of Internet accessibility across the country appears normal.”
“Media is requested to act responsibly, exercising caution in spreading any unconfirmed news/status regarding Internet disruption,” she said.
Khan’s PTI party has repeatedly said its top leader has been targeted by the Pakistani authorities who want to eliminate him from the country’s political landscape. The country’s media watchdog has banned his speeches on satellite television and suspended some news channels for airing them in the past.
The PTI has also complained about not getting a “level playing field,” a euphemism for fair competition in elections, ahead of national polls.
