It increasingly appears that the current caretaker setup in the country is clearly competing with authoritarian governments in the world, including those in Eretria, North Korea and Uzbekistan, insofar as disruptions across social media platforms are concerned.

A highly reputed global private network company in Europe in a half-year analysis of internet shutdowns based on the Internet Shutdown Tracker has already revealed that Pakistan was responsible for three of the 42 new restrictions worldwide, which were imposed following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan.

That analysis or report has ranked Pakistan behind India and Iran as the country leading the list of regimes who imposed internet restrictions during the first half of 2023.

It was yesterday that the country again witnessed the nationwide disruption of internet on social media platforms such X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

And the incident came as, according to Internet Monitor Netblocks, “persecuted former prime minister Imran Khan’s party, PTI, launches its election fundraising telethon”. The caretaker setup in the country is required to revisit its strategy at the earliest.

It must not lose sight of the fact that a very vast majority of people in the country do not subscribe to Imran Khan’s approach to politics or whatever political philosophy he has been pursuing. In other words, they are not among his followers or admirers at all.

But they equally suffer whenever the government initiates any anti-social media step. Imran Khan and his party may be penalised for the May 9 incidents, but a very great majority of people did not commit those crimes. Unfortunately, however, they are forced to repent the sins that they never committed.

Asma Yawar Warraich (Lahore)

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024