Pakistan blocks social media to maintain ‘law and order’ (ban to be lifted 4pm on Friday)

[MenInG]

A temporary ban has been imposed on Facebook, Twitter, Tiktok, WhatsApp, and YouTube. They will resume working at 4pm.

The decision has been taken to maintain the law and order situation in the country.

The step comes a day after Pakistan imposed a ban on the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan. PEMRA even blocked all TV channels from providing any coverage to the banned organisation.

Pakistan bans TLP
The Ministry of Interior said in its notification that the government has reasonable grounds to believe that the TLP “engaged in terrorism, acted in a manner prejudicial to the peace and security of the country”. The group “intimidated the public, caused grievous bodily harm, hurt and death to the personnel of law enforcement agencies and innocent bystanders”, it said.

The party has been proscribed under section 11B (1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. It empowers the government to ban an organisation involved in terrorism.

On Wednesday, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed announced that Pakistan has decided to ban the religious party. A summary of the order was approved by Prime Minister Imran Khan later in the day. According to it, the religious group damaged 30 vehicles of law enforcement agencies, while two police officers were killed in violent protests across Punjab.

Protests in major cities across Pakistan erupted on April 12 after TLP workers took to the streets. They were protesting against the arrest of their chief Saad Hussain Rizvi. Main roads in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and other cities were blocked following his arrest, and people were stuck in traffic for hours.

After continuing for two days, an operation to disperse the protesters began on Wednesday. After a joint operation by the police and Rangers, roads have been cleared.

So far, at least 115 FIRs have been registered and 2,063 workers arrested. In Punjab, 1669 workers were arrested, 228 in Sindh, 193 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 43 in Islamabad, the summary added.

Shahbaz Gill shares Saad Rizvi’s letter
Shahbaz Gill, the special assistant to PM on information, shared Thursday night a letter written by Saad Rizvi.

Rizvi, in the letter, requested party members and workers to end their sit-in and go back to their homes in the interest of the country. He asked them to not take any illegal action, adding that he is not under duress.

https://www.samaa.tv/news/2021/04/pta-to-temporarily-block-social-media-sites-in-pakistan/

 

[MenInG]

 

[OMB]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Press Release: In order to maintain public order and safety, access to certain social media applications has been restricted temporarily.</p>— PTA (@PTAofficialpk) <a href="https://twitter.com/PTAofficialpk/status/1382963881979482112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Angrez Pakistani]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The government every time something happens in Pakistan <a href="https://t.co/0W2cGqSUTP">pic.twitter.com/0W2cGqSUTP</a></p>— ⎊ Childish Ghambino &#55356;&#57161; (@Sarkhail7Khan) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sarkhail7Khan/status/1382955524279447554?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

Could this be due to TLP supporters trying to organise another protest today ?

 

[MenInG]

ISLAMABAD: Services of social media platforms Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp and Telegram were restored in Pakistan on Friday after being suspended for four hours.

GEO

 

[MenInG]

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry has regretted the blockage of social media sites across the country from 11am to 3pm on Friday, promising that he will try his best that the measure is not taken again in the future.

"I regret the three-hour suspension of social media and seek an apology over it," Chaudhry said in a statement on Friday.

"Every effort will be made to prevent a shutdown of social media in the future," said the federal minister.

Daily routine across the country had been disrupted during the past few days as supporters of a religiopolitical party took to the streets and staged sit-ins and violent protests in major cities.

At least three people lost their lives, including two policemen, during the ensuing skirmishes between protesters and law enforcement agencies. Hundreds of policemen were injured in attacks by the protesters, some seriously.

On Friday, the interior ministry had directed the telecom regulator to shut social networking sites from 11am till 3pm in a bid to maintain law and order in the country. Officials later said they had feared another wave of protests post Jumma prayers.

Chaudhry promised that those found involved in violence against law enforcement personnel will be brought to book.

"The miscreants will fail in their nefarious designs," he said, adding the government cannot be blackmailed through a show of force.

He said the government handled the situation wisely and thwarted violent protests.

"The role played by the interior and religious ministries, LEAs and the provincial governments is commendable," he said.

Fawad added that the masses offered the first Friday prayers of Ramadan peacefully while traffic is now normal on all main roads in the country.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/345776-ev...not-to-shut-down-social-media-in-future-fawad

 

[Saj]

Fair to say that the ban backfired?

 

[Major]

Fair to say that the ban backfired?

The purpose of the ban was to limit flow of info between tlp and its sympethisers.
Friday is impt as after jummah, tlp and people who support them tend to give sermons to rile up the people. This results ib kuch bigger gatherings.

Thus, to limit more people joing these luantics, the ban wa splaced so that no sermon was given kn friday to rile the people up

 

[Saj]

The purpose of the ban was to limit flow of info between tlp and its sympethisers.
Friday is impt as after jummah, tlp and people who support them tend to give sermons to rile up the people. This results ib kuch bigger gatherings.

Thus, to limit more people joing these luantics, the ban wa splaced so that no sermon was given kn friday to rile the people up

But by doing that, do you think that has wound people up even more as we saw in Sunday's events?

 

[Major]

But by doing that, do you think that has wound people up even more as we saw in Sunday's events?

Sundays event would had happened, and this protest will continue now for few months.

Right now, the goal is to make sure more people dont join them. Thus, there wont be any media coverage and might expect more internet bans during friday.

By declaring them as terrorist organization now the govt has got free hand to eradicate these people.

I think what the govt is trying to do is they are trying to make sure these people dont enter islamabad. Once they enter islamabad, diplomatic enclave would become a danger zone, as they would probably attack the french embassy and french residents residing.

Problem is pakistani awam does not fear the police, so eventually, i could see milltary emergency being announced in lahore or in punjab. Only than would these people would come under control. Military is the only institute that the awam fears.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/pakistan-asks-twitter-to-take-action-against-fake-news/2015699

Pakistan on Thursday asked Twitter to take "immediate action" against accounts spreading false information against the country.

The development comes amid absurd claims by prominent handles on social media as well as mainstream news media from India of a "civil war-like" situation in the southern metropolis of Karachi.

"In the wake of current smear campaign of spreading false and baseless information targeting Pakistan, its cities and institutions, PTA has stressed upon Twitter to effectively block handles involved in the campaign," the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority said in a statement.

Emphasizing that number of accounts involved in the propagation of untrue stories were verified, the telecom authority called for action as per its "guidelines and policies."

On Wednesday, several Indian media outlets reported about imaginary gun battles between rival forces on the streets of Karachi after the arrest of Mohammad Safdar, an opposition leader and son-in-law of former premier Nawaz Sharif.

The reports stemmed from Tuesday's events when several top police officers of Sindh province applied for leave in protest against "ridicule" of high command vis-à-vis registration of a case against Safdar.

Pakistan's human rights minister also criticized Twitter for ignoring Indian propaganda against her country.

"Indian media in hyper drive with fake news on Pakistan & unfortunate that @TwitterSupport delib ignoring! Facebook also indulging Indian propaganda & hate posts! Similarly Islamophobia rampant but heaven forbid if any word said implying even a querying comment on holocaust," Shireen Mazari tweeted.

Earlier this year, Twitter updated its policy on manipulated media, and started putting warning messages on tweets containing misleading information about coronavirus.

The social media giant has time and again removed hundreds of accounts involved in disinformation campaigns. Such content is posted more often ahead of elections or during socio-political events of public importance.