The interior ministry ordered the temporary closure of all social media applications in the country.
In a letter sent to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the interior ministry asked for “immediate action” to be taken.
In a tweet by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA),
Press Release: In order to maintain public order and safety, access to certain social media applications has been restricted temporarily.
— PTA (@PTAofficialpk) April 16, 2021
The government did not cite a reason for the temporary suspension, however, the suspension comes days after the country was rocked by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s (TLP) protest. The protest erupted after the party’s chief was arrested earlier this week.
Services are expected to resume after 3pm. The letter is also marked ‘Most Immediate’.