New Delhi (NVI): Pakistan today temporarily blocked mainstream social media platforms like WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook for hours, before restoring it later, amid escalating tensions in the country due to massive protests by supporters of radical Islamist party Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).
The services in these apps were restored later after being suspended for hours, reported Geo News.
The Pak news portal reported that earlier today, the interior ministry had directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to block social media platforms from 11am till 3pm.
“In order to maintain public order and safety, access to certain social media applications has been restricted temporarily,” PTA had said in its explanation regarding the suspension of services, as per the Geo News report.
Pertinent to mention here that at least three people including two policemen have been killed Pakistan in violent protests by TLP supporters that are nearing a week.
The social media ban comes a day after the French Embassy in Pakistan asked its citizens to leave the Muslim-majority country due to “serious threats” in view of protests and violence by TLP over controversial caricatures of Prophet Mohammad, as per Pak media reports.
-ARK
