The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s ‘Virtual Jalsa,’ organized in a bid to outmaneuver restrictions on public gatherings after the events of May 9, was marred by internet disruptions on Sunday night, with many users reporting an inability to access various social media networks when it kicked off around 9 p.m.
“Live metrics show a nation-scale disruption to social media platforms across Pakistan, including X [formerly Twitter], Facebook, Instagram and YouTube,” said NetBlocks, an internet tracking agency, in a posting on X.
“Metrics show major social media platforms were restricted in Pakistan for ~7 hours on Sunday evening during an online political gathering; the incident is consistent with previous instances of internet censorship targeting opposition leader Imran Khan and his party PTI,” it added in a follow-up posting on Monday morning. While many within Pakistan reported no disruptions, sufficient numbers maintained their access to internet services were hampered to raise questions over an unannounced government blockage. The disruption was most widespread in areas of Karachi, Lahore, Mirpur Khas, and Rawalpindi.
Seeking to rubbish this speculation, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Monday said it was investigating reports of internet disruption in “some areas” of the country on Sunday. In its statement, the regulator said overall access to the internet was normal across the country. However, it was unable to explain why the outages were observed overnight, with many users complaining of censorship, while freelancers lamented their inability to submit their work to clients.
The virtual rally was primarily broadcast on the official PTI channel on YouTube, with total views as of Monday morning reaching 1.5 million, while live viewership during the nearly 5-hour event peaked around 90,000. The PTI has further claimed that it recorded 1.4 million views on Facebook and 1 million views on X.
During the event, the party broadcast an A.I.-rendered speech of former chairman Imran Khan, urging the public to stand by him while he is incarcerated. It also featured a previously recorded message from Khan, urging overseas supporters to donate in large numbers to fund the party’s upcoming election campaign.
The rally was also addressed by various PTI leaders, including those who are currently in hiding as they are wanted by police in various cases. Former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa minister Taimur Jhagra discussed Khan’s achievements in the province, including the health card scheme, while U.S.-based Shahbaz Gill alleged the government was restricting access to YouTube and X to prevent the public from viewing the virtual gathering.
U.K.-based PTI leader Zulfiqar Bukhari lamented “attempts” to link the May 9 riots to the party, maintaining Khan did not believe in violence. Other party leaders, including Hammad Azhar, Omar Ayub Khan, Qasim Suri, Ali Muhammad Khan, and Zartaj Gul, also addressed the event.