ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan accused the government Wednesday of “unacceptable” censorship after the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) apparently blocked national access to YouTube to prevent a rally speech from being broadcast live.
Khan retains widespread support despite his April ousting and has staged mass rallies across the country calling for early elections and railing against the government.
His speeches frequently draw top ratings on television, with highlights trending on social media in Pakistan.
On Tuesday night, however, YouTube was down across much of the country as Khan addressed a rally in Peshawar, with London-based internet outage monitor Netblocks confirming the disruption.
“Access was restored after the speech concluded,” Netblocks told AFP.
YouTube has not commented on the matter, while a representative of the PTA said they had “no idea about it”.
Last month, the government’s media regulatory body banned Khan’s speeches from being broadcast live, on the grounds they were inciting unrest, but this week the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ruled the order illegal.
Still, no TV channels broadcast Tuesday’s speech.
On Wednesday, Khan accused the government of censoring him, saying the move would damage the country’s reputation.
“They are imposing complete blackout of my speeches not only from mainstream media but also by blocking YouTube,” he tweeted.
“This fascist government of cabal of crooks and their backers are willing to harm the interests of Pakistan simply out of fear of (his party) PTI’s soaring popularity. Utterly callous and unacceptable.”
Interested only in saving its looted wealth through NRO2, this fascist govt of cabal of crooks & their backers are willing to harm the interests of Pakistan simply out of fear of PTI’s soaring popularity. Utterly callous & unacceptable. #EnoughlsEnough
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) September 7, 2022
Last month, ARY News, a popular cable television station critical of the current government, was taken off air but a court last week also ordered the ruling illegal.
Another cable television station, Bol News, was suspended last week — ostensibly for operating with an expired licence — and insisted later it was being “punished for showing what the government doesn’t like”.
Free speech campaigners have long criticised the creeping censorship and control of Pakistan’s internet, printed and electronic media.
“It is digital martial law,” said Usama Khilji, a digital rights activist.
The country has a history of those in power using the police and courts to stifle their political opponents, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also has several pending cases from when he was in opposition.
The political crisis comes as the country grapples with the worst floods in its history, with some 33 million people affected by record monsoon rains that have left almost a third of the nation under water.
