ISLAMABAD: A large number of social media users in Pakistan on Saturday night could not access platform X, formerly known as Twitter, as a London-based cybersecurity and Internet governance watchdog organization confirmed a “national-scale” disruption.
While it is not clear what led to the situation, social media shutdowns have mostly been witnessed in the country during periods of political unrest and volatility.
Political parties in Pakistan have raised allegations of election manipulation in the wake of the Feb. 8 general polls and called for protests.
Earlier in the day, a top bureaucrat held a news conference wherein he said he had altered results in election results in 13 national and 26 provincial constituencies by misusing his administrative powers.
Commissioner of Rawalpindi Division Liaquat Ali Chattha also accused the top election commission official and Pakistan’s chief justice of being part of the rigging process, generating debate on social media platforms.
“Live metrics show a new national-scale disruption to X/Twitter in #Pakistan amid escalating unrest and protests over allegations of election fraud, following a high-level resignation and public admission of vote manipulation by a senior election official,” Netblocks, the UK-based Internet watchdog said.
In the past, social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube have also faced restrictions, coinciding with political events, indicating a preemptive approach by authorities to curtail mobilization and dissemination of dissenting views.
Digital activists in Pakistan have objected to such developments and raised concerns about their impact on freedom of expression, access to information and the broader implications for civil liberties.
Internet watchdog confirms nationwide disruption as Pakistani users face access issues on platform X
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Internet watchdog confirms nationwide disruption as Pakistani users face access issues on platform X
- Social media shutdowns have mostly been witnessed in Pakistan during periods of political unrest and volatility
- Digital activists have objected to such disruptions, raising concerns about their implications for civil liberties
Sindh assembly passes resolution rejecting move to separate Karachi
- Chief Minister Shah cites constitutional safeguards against altering provincial boundaries
- Calls to separate Karachi intensified amid governance concerns after a mall fire last month
ISLAMABAD: The provincial assembly of Pakistan’s southern Sindh province on Saturday passed a resolution rejecting any move to separate Karachi, declaring its territorial integrity “non-negotiable” amid political calls to carve the city out as a separate administrative unit.
The resolution comes after fresh demands by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and other voices to grant Karachi provincial or federal status following governance challenges highlighted by the deadly Gul Plaza fire earlier this year that killed 80 people.
Karachi, Pakistan’s largest and most densely populated city, is the country’s main commercial hub and contributes a significant share to the national economy.
Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah tabled the resolution in the assembly, condemning what he described as “divisive statements” about breaking up Sindh or detaching Karachi.
“The province that played a foundational role in the creation of Pakistan cannot allow the fragmentation of its own historic homeland,” Shah told lawmakers, adding that any attempt to divide Sindh or separate Karachi was contrary to the constitution and democratic norms.
Citing Article 239 of Pakistan’s 1973 Constitution, which requires the consent of not less than two-thirds of a provincial assembly to alter provincial boundaries, Shah said any such move could not proceed without the assembly’s approval.
“If any such move is attempted, it is this Assembly — by a two-thirds majority — that will decide,” he said.
The resolution reaffirmed that Karachi would “forever remain” an integral part of Sindh and directed the provincial government to forward the motion to the president, prime minister and parliamentary leadership for record.
Shah said the resolution was not aimed at anyone but referred to the shifting stance of MQM in the debate while warning that opposing the resolution would amount to supporting the division of Sindh.
The party has been a major political force in Karachi with a significant vote bank in the city and has frequently criticized Shah’s provincial administration over its governance of Pakistan’s largest metropolis.
Taha Ahmed Khan, a senior MQM leader, acknowledged that his party had “presented its demand openly on television channels with clear and logical arguments” to separate Karachi from Sindh.
“It is a purely constitutional debate,” he told Arab News by phone. “We are aware that the Pakistan Peoples Party, which rules the province, holds a two-thirds majority and that a new province cannot be created at this stage. But that does not mean new provinces can never be formed.”
Calls to alter Karachi’s status have periodically surfaced amid longstanding complaints over governance, infrastructure and administrative control in the megacity, though no formal proposal to redraw provincial boundaries has been introduced at the federal level.
