ISLAMABAD: An independent Internet watchdog confirmed on Wednesday that social media platform X continues to remain restricted in Pakistan, hours after users reported they were able to access the website without using a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
X first went down on Feb. 17 when a government official confessed to manipulating votes in Pakistan’s Feb. 8 general election. The admission came as former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and other political parties staged protests countrywide, alleging the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had rigged elections, which it denies. Mobile phone services were also shut down on polling day over security threats.
X’s prolonged disruption has raised widespread concerns about the state of democratic freedoms in the country, with the United States and several international organizations urging Pakistan to provide unhindered Internet access and leading digital rights activists calling the blockade a “blatant violation” of civil liberties.
On Wednesday afternoon, multiple Arab News staffers were able to access X without a VPN, which can mask the identity and location of users to help access websites and services that may be blocked in a certain region. However, UK-based independent Internet watchdog Netblocks confirmed hours later that the platform has once again been restricted in the country.
“Update: Metrics show that X/Twitter remains restricted in #Pakistan despite brief moments of availability,” Netblocks said in a post on X. “Any decision to restore access to the service, banned on 17 Feb amidst concerns over election fraud, will be deferred to an incoming government per local media reports.”
VPNs have become increasingly popular in the days since access to X was cut off for much of the country but software application Surfshark reported this week the Pakistan government was working to restrict VPN as well, which the company’s engineers were working to bypass.
A day earlier on Tuesday, Internet observatory group Netblocks said metrics showed X had remained restricted in Pakistan into a tenth day, “as the nation joins an exclusive set of countries that have imposed extended or permanent bans on international social media platforms.”
Before the latest blockade, Pakistan experienced multiple Internet disruptions in recent weeks that made social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, X and Instagram inaccessible. Recent occurrences were on Jan. 20, Jan. 7 and Dec. 17, when Khan’s PTI party was holding virtual events. The government had blamed those disruptions on “technical glitches.”
Such shutdowns have previously had a devastating impact on Pakistan’s economy. The day after Khan’s arrest in May last year, Reuters reported that point-of-sale transactions routed through Pakistan’s main digital payment systems fell by around 50 percent according to the region’s two largest payments system operators, 1LINK and Habib Bank Limited.
According to the Internet Society’s monitor Pulse, it is becoming an increasingly common tactic for governments to shut down the Internet on a national or sub-national level to either control civil unrest, stem the flow of misinformation, sway the results of general elections or to gain strategic advantages in territories with ongoing wars.
After brief restoration, social media platform X down in Pakistan again
https://arab.news/8yjcc
After brief restoration, social media platform X down in Pakistan again
- X first went down on Feb. 17 when a government official confessed to manipulating votes in Feb. 8 elections
- X’s prolonged disruption has raised widespread concerns about state of democratic freedoms in the country
Majority market participants expect no rate change ahead of Dec. 15 Pakistan policy meeting – survey
Majority market participants expect no rate change ahead of Dec. 15 Pakistan policy meeting – survey
- Topline survey finds 70% expect State Bank to hold interest rate at 11%
- Analysis cites flood-driven inflation risk, rising imports as key reasons for caution
ISLAMABAD: Most financial market participants expect Pakistan’s central bank to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 11% when it meets on December 15, according to a new survey by brokerage Topline Securities.
Pakistan’s State Bank has held rates steady since May and maintained the same stance in October, its fourth consecutive pause, after recent floods had a milder-than-expected impact on crops and inflation. The central bank said earlier that the effects of previous interest rate cuts were still filtering through the economy, meaning businesses and consumers were still adjusting to cheaper borrowing. Because of that, the bank felt it was better to keep policy steady for now instead of cutting rates again.
The latest Topline poll reflects that sentiment, with investors largely expecting the bank to hold until inflation pressures ease more decisively. Pakistan has reduced rates sharply over the past 18 months — from a peak of 22% in 2024 to 11% at present — but policymakers have warned that price risks could rise again as imports pick up and agriculture recovers.
Topline said 70% of market participants expect no change, while 30% foresee a cut of 25–100 basis points. No respondents expect an increase despite one member of the SBP board having voted for a rate hike during the September meeting, according to published minutes.
“Continuation of status quo opinion in majority of the participants is driven by floods, higher inflation expected in the second half of FY26, and base effects,” Topline said in its note summarizing the poll.
The brokerage added that lowering rates too soon could encourage non-oil imports at a time when Pakistan is trying to consolidate gains in foreign exchange reserves and keep the balance of payments stable. Price pressure is expected to sit above the central bank’s medium-term 5–7% target range for several months before easing next fiscal year.
Yields in the secondary market also point to stability. Six-month treasury bills are trading near 10.97%, almost unchanged since October, while the six-month interbank benchmark stands at 11.16%.
Pakistan raised its GDP outlook in October to the upper half of its 3.25–4.25% projection range for fiscal year 2026, citing better crop output and improvements in industrial demand.
The central bank expects reserves to rise to around $15.5 billion by the end of 2025 and close to $17.8 billion by June 2026, assuming planned inflows materialize.
