Pakistan Suspends WhatsApp, Facebook, Other Platforms After Violent Protests

Pakistan has briefly suspended the companies of social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and WhatsApp to cease their use to organise demonstrations following violent protests by a radical spiritual group that has now been banned by the federal government.

The authorities banned Tehreek-i-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) on Thursday following three days of violent protest by it to drive the federal government to expel the French ambassador over a blasphemous caricature revealed in France final 12 months.

The TLP had launched the country-wide protest on Monday after the arrest of its chief Saad Hussain Rizvi. The TLP supporters clashed with the regulation enforcement businesses in a number of cities and cities earlier this week, leaving seven individuals useless and over 300 policemen injured.

To cease the protests after Friday prayers, the Interior Ministry directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to droop social media companies for 4 hours from 11 am to three pm PST (GMT+5).

The PTA mentioned in a notification that “complete access to social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube and Telegram) may be blocked”.

The motive for the suspension of the companies was not said by the PTA however official sources mentioned that it was feared that protesters might use social media to organise demonstrations.

Suspension of web and cell phone companies is a standard apply in Pakistan to forestall protests and acts of terrorism.

But this time solely social media has been significantly focused because the TLP was reportedly utilizing it successfully in opposition to the federal government motion. On Thursday, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed warned the TLP in opposition to utilizing YouTube to add propaganda movies.

The TLP got here to prominence in November 2017 when it staged a sit-in on the Faizabad interchange close to Islamabad and minimize off the capital from the outdated worldwide airport.

Pakistan Muslims League-Nawaz (PML-N) was within the authorities then and Imran Khan, the present prime minister, and his Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf social gathering had supported the protest.


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