By Staff Reporter
KARACHI: A high court in Pakistan’s largest city ordered the authorities on Wednesday to ensure uninterrupted internet access until Feb. 8, when the country is set to hold general elections, after a petition by an independent candidate who alleged pre-poll rigging.
The Sindh High Court in Karachi issued the order on a plea by Jibran Nasir, a lawyer and activist who is running for a seat in the National Assembly from the southern port city.
Nasir challenged the frequent internet outages and social media blockages that have plagued the country in recent weeks, coinciding with online events by the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
He argued that the disruptions violated the constitutional rights of citizens and candidates, and hampered free and fair elections.
The order was issued by a two-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, who directed the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority and the caretaker government to ensure “smooth and uninterrupted mobile internet and broadband services” and access to social media platforms until the polls.
The court also issued notices to the respondents, including the ministries of interior and information technology, to submit their replies by Jan. 29.
Political analysts said the caretaker government, which took over in August after the dissolution of the parliament, countered the PTI campaign by holding virtual events on social media, which have been marred by internet glitches and outages.
After the party was deprived of its bat electoral symbol by the Election Commission, it has decided to capitalize on its strong social media network to remain in touch with its supporters in addition to setting up a portal featuring the party’s candidates alongside their details.
In the past month, three such nationwide disruptions have occurred — on Dec. 17, Jan. 7 and Jan. 20. They coincided with PTI’s virtual events on social media platforms.
The caretaker information minister, Murtaza Solangi, has blamed the disruptions on “technical” issues and system installations, and said there was no guarantee they would not recur.
Nasir, who is known for his outspoken views on human rights and social justice, said the internet shutdowns were not only aimed at stifling the PTI, but also independent candidates like him who relied on social media to reach out to voters.
“This is not just stopping the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf from contesting free and fair elections — which is pre-poll rigging — but is also hindering the way of independent candidates like me,” he said, highlighting that the internet and social media were efficient and cost-effective platforms to reach out to voters.
Pakistan has a history of internet censorship and surveillance, and ranks among the worst countries for online freedom, according to watchdogs. The country has about 100 million internet users, mostly on mobile phones.
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