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X Outage in Pakistan: Despite elections concluding a week ago, internet connectivity remains a hurdle in Pakistan. The popular platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has been inaccessible for over 36 hours, following a shocking confession from a high-ranking official.
Rawalpindi’s commissioner, Liaqat Ali Chattha, admitted to manipulating election results, claiming to have altered 70,000 votes. This bombshell revelation coincided with the X outage, which began on February 17th and briefly reappeared for 30 minutes before disappearing again.
Cybersecurity experts at NetBlocks confirmed a 24-hour restriction on X, marking the longest national outage for the platform. Users across Pakistan reported issues with both the X app and website, unable to load posts or access web pages.
This incident is just the latest in a string of internet and social media disruptions that have plagued the country in recent months, particularly following the 2024 general election. On Saturday night, frustration mounted amongst users unable to access X.
Read Also: Rawalpindi Commissioner Resigns Amidst Election Rigging Scandal
Similar disruptions occurred last month, affecting major platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Google services, and even the internet service provider PTCL.
Adding to the confusion, Pakistan’s telecommunication authority, the PTA, has remained silent on the matter, offering no official explanation for the restrictions.
As internet access remains limited and the shadow of election manipulation lingers, Pakistan faces a critical juncture, grappling with both technological challenges and concerns about the integrity of its democratic process.