WhatsApp woes strike again amid PTI protests

KARACHI: People across Pakistan faced sporadic internet outages on Friday. While almost all internet-dependent apps were affected, users in large numbers reported problems with WhatsApp.

Outage tracking website Downdetector showed that WhatsApp in Pakistan started having issues from 9:16am, and most users complained about facing problems while sending messages.

In the absence of any official notification from state institutions, people were quick to link the disruptions with the PTI’s protest in Islamabad.

While talking to The News, Chairperson of the Wireless & Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (WISPAP) Shahzad Arshad said that the issue could be limited to areas affected by [a political party’s] jalsa, adding that the app worked fine on WiFi connections.

Per Downdetector, the problem was widespread in Punjab with urban centres including Rawalpindi, Lahore and Islamabad most affected. In Sindh, only users from Karachi reported issues.

In its post on X (formerly Twitter), Amnesty International South Asia said: “The blanket shutdown of mobile network and internet in Islamabad and Rawalpindi and complete blockade of roads to the capital imposed ahead of [PTI] protests, infringe on people’s right to freedom of expression, access to information, peaceful assembly and movement.” Internet disruptions in Pakistan have been going on for months now. In February, a few days after the general elections, authorities blocked access to X in the country with no proper communication about it. In August, internet outages irked the country’s software association, P@SHA, which released a statement, warning the government about a potential loss of $300 million if such disruptions continued for long periods.

Friday’s episode brought another wave of stress for people, who remained in a state of uncertainty. Rawalpindi-based Hafsha Abbasi, a social media executive, said that she faced network outages, “causing delays in my work”. She said that no cellular data meant she could not communicate with her co-workers.

Islamabad-based journalist Fauzia Kalsoom Rana added that “internet outages in Islamabad disrupted work, especially for those who rely on online platforms like WhatsApp. Due to the outage, I faced problems in sending and receiving messages, making calls, or accessing data services, which affected both personal and professional communication.”

Internet users were also irked by a lack of communication from official channels, including the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). Abbasi said that she could not contact anyone regarding the outage. Rana added that she “didn’t see any notification from the PTA regarding phone service or internet outages, nor was there any announcement of a holiday [in connection with the government’s lockdown against the jalsa].”

Officials had earlier said that the issue of internet disruptions could be resolved by end October, but experts have been wary of this assessment. Shahzad Arshad said that “announcing a deadline without clear actions and shared responsibility does little to address the underlying structural issues,” adding that he was sceptical of the promised October deadline and that an even more profound and collaborative strategy is required for lasting improvement.

“The industry needs not just technical fixes but a unified approach that instils confidence in the sector’s stability and the government’s commitment to addressing the public’s digital needs effectively.”