According to a recent report from Surfshark, a VPN and cyber security provider, Pakistan had some of the strictest internet restrictions in the first half of 2023.

Out of 42 new internet restrictions worldwide, three of them were imposed in Pakistan during a six-month analysis. The Internet Shutdown Tracker documented these restrictions, which were put in place after the arrest of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, on May 9.

During this period, the use of social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube was curtailed in Pakistan. There were also multiple instances of temporary cellular network interruptions throughout the country for several days following the arrest.

According to the Surfshark report, Pakistan comes third after Iran and India in terms of countries with the most internet restrictions enforced in the first half of 2023. Asia remains the central region where most of these internet shutdowns have occurred.

Iran experienced the highest number of internet disruptions during this period, with 14 incidents. All of these took place in Zahedan amid Friday protests sparked by the Zahedan massacre.

Moreover, India followed closely behind Iran with nine confirmed instances, most of which happened during various protest events.

The report mentions two more cases of the internet being shut down in the region of ‘Jammu and Kashmir,’ which were ordered by the Indian government. If we add these instances to India’s tally, there have been a total of 11 internet shutdowns in the country within six months.

Out of the 45 new disruptions during this period, 30 were triggered by people expressing their disagreement over social and political issues. This study highlights the crucial role of the internet as the main platform for sharing essential information during times of civil unrest.

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