Tech

Internet service in Pakistan to remain suspended for indefinite period: PTA

Published

12 months ago

Farwa

Decision taken on the directives of interior ministry, says PTA.
Twitter, Facebook services are also down for many users.
Videos of violent protests were shared on social media platforms.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Wednesday said that internet services across the country will remain suspended for an indefinite period.

The telecommunication authority confirmed that the decision to block mobile broadband services was taken on the directives of the Ministry of Interior.

A day earlier, the services were shutdown as protests erupted after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s arrest in Al-Qadir Trust case.

Moreover, major social media sites including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are also reportedly down for many users in Pakistan as they are unable to access these platforms since yesterday.

Videos of violent protests were shared widely on social media platforms after unrest flared up following the former prime minister’s arrest, after which mobile broadband services were blocked.

The PTA spokesperson had said that the regulatory authority was also receiving reports of social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, being down. However, these reports could not be confirmed, she added.

Sources told Geo News that “unwarranted” clips of the protests were shared on social media after which various platforms started experiencing disruptions around 8pm on Tuesday, causing problems for citizens.

“With Pakistan already ranking among the world’s worst countries in terms of Internet access, Tuesday’s outage was nothing short of a shambolic turn of events. It is unfortunate that whenever the political climate in the country heats up, such a measure is viewed to be a necessity, when in truth it robs the people of the fundamental right of access to information that is guaranteed by law,” Sameen Daud Khan, a researcher who worked on Pakistan’s Internet Landscape 2022 report told Geo.tv.

What had happened?

Khan was arrested from the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) a day earlier by Rangers personnel in connection with a warrant issued by the National Accountability Bureau in the Al-Qadir Trust case.

Following his arrest, the PTI urged supporters all across Pakistan to protest and “block all roads, close all shops”.

Subsequently, PTI workers held protests in several cities, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Peshawar, and Mardan.

In Karachi, demonstrators clashed with the police near Nursery. They threw stones at and set fire to police vehicles, tore down street lights, and damaged a bus. There were reports that police fired teargas shells at the protesters.

Protesters also caused damage to public property in other cities, including Rawalpindi and Lahore.

Hours later, many users in Pakistan reported that they were unable to access social media sites in the evening.

According to the outage-tracking website, Downdetector.com, users were unable to log in to their accounts on all three platforms, meaning they also couldn’t post or view anything.

A large number of smartphone users also complained about their WhatsApp which is not working both on desktops and cellphones.

Moreover, as per reports, internet speed is also slow for many users across the country.

Latest News

The green colour of WhatsApp ‘angers’ some users.

Published

5 hours ago

Farwa

After changing its display colour from blue to green, WhatsApp, which was before well-known for its blue motif, caused its users to hold divergent views.

New upgrades to the Meta app always spark a lot of discussion, regardless of how big or small the changes are.

Still, Meta-owned WhatsApp hopes that these modifications would “make it more accessible as well as easier to use” and offer a “modern, new experience” with relation to the updated display color.

A statement from the firm claimed that they had altered WhatsApp’s “looks and feels, including spacing, colors, icons, and more.”

Both iOS and Android users can now view the new WhatsApp update; the green tint on the latter has changed from the previous version.

However, iPhone users will notice that every display element, including the chat-list window and status bar, has changed with the recent design update. WhatsApp used to have a blue color scheme on iPhones.

Furthermore, the formerly blue links shared within the app are now displayed in green.

In addition, WhatsApp has made other improvements to improve its user experience outside of the color shift.

Latest News

Punjab will provide fifty thousand solar kits.

Published

1 month ago

Farwa

On Tuesday,Tuesday, while presiding over a review meeting on solar household solutions, the CM gave the order to begin the installation of one kilowatt solar systems right away. She also gave the order to introduce the newest solar systems.

Phase-I solar systems would be balloted for by 50,000 protected users who use 100 units each month, at a cost of Rs 12.6 billion.

Home-based solar systems will eventually be made available to other Punjabi consumers. A solar system will consist of a battery, inverter, sophisticated solar plate, and more related accessories.

Attending the meeting were Provincial Information Minister Azma Zahid Bukhari, MPA Sania Ashiq, Former Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Chief Secretary, Chairman Planning and Development, Secretaries of Energy, Finance, and Punjab Power Development Board (PPDB) Managing Director, in addition to other pertinent officers.

During his inaugural speech as Punjab’s chief minister, Maryam Nawaz outlined her five-year plan and promised to develop a strategy for customers who use fewer than 300 units of power.

According to Maryam Nawaz, the PML-N’s main goals for her term will be to provide jobs, healthcare, and education.

She said, “I am working on a plan to provide solar panels to consumers using up to 300 units of electricity or less in installments.”

Pakistan

There will be free WiFi in public parks.

Published

1 month ago

Farwa

The discussion on the province’s capital city’s beautification was chaired by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.

CM Gandapur gave the pertinent authorities instructions at the meeting to complete the arrangements and submit the free WiFi service plan for the province government’s approval.

In the following phase, he said, the service will be extended to more cities. In addition, the chief minister gave the Peshawar Development Authority instructions to create a beatification plan for the city.

The meeting voted to launch a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service on Nasir Bagh Road in the province capital with the goal of facilitating the easy mobility of the population.

CM Gandapur pushed for the installation of underpasses rather than overhead bridges and ordered the city’s street lights to be converted to solar power.

The chief minister gave the order to begin work on the road around the BRT Corridor at University Road as well as the building of the remaining section of Warsak-Nasir Bagh Road right away.

In order to promote KP’s culture, he also oversaw the installation of fake plants on all road walks and painted headbridges and walls with designs.

The chief minister of KP gave the order to approach business organizations for assistance in this respect.