The Pakistani government suspended public access to social media on Friday (16/04) following a wave of protests occur in the main cities of the country.

The request was made to the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) and highlights the ban on Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook and Telegram. The document also says that the agency has until 08:00 am (Brasília time) to comply with the order.

Officially, the government did not specify the reason for requesting the prohibition. However, during the week, the radical Islamist group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) encouraged violent demonstrations in the capital Islamabad and in two other major cities in the country, Lahore and Karachi.

Os protesters have organized on social media and are calling for the expulsion of the current French ambassador to the country. The revolt began when French President Emmanuel Macron defended the publication of cartoons in the name of freedom of expression. The episode led to the protests that could now lead to the suspension of social media in Pakistan.

Protests in Pakistan

In October, a teacher was murdered in a region near the capital Paris after showing cartoons to students during a class. It was in a tribute to the victim that the French leader defended the satirical cartoons.

As a security measure, the French embassy has asked French citizens in Pakistan to leave the country temporarily due to “serious threats” recorded on site.

It is unclear whether the call to suspend social media has been heeded in Pakistan. However, there are already reports of areas where access to the sites is being cut off. It is also unclear how long the ban would last.

The decision has been criticized by experts. In an interview with DW, Dr. Mehdi Hassan, former chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, said that "this ban is against fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution" and added, "Instead of banning social media, the government should arrest all the leaders of the extremist group [TLP] and prosecute them in court."

Through which channels you reach those people, classic and out of the box. DW

Image: Annietariqphotography/Wikimedia Commons/CC