Social media sites are still down in Pakistan

Social media sites Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube are still down in Pakistan. Pakistan experienced a brief restoration of Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter on Friday night. But they were inaccessible again on Saturday. This was due to Interior Ministery suspending mobile internet services and blocking access to social media platforms on Tuesday night. Resulting in a significant loss of economic productivity and digital services, including digital payments.

Telecom companies in Pakistan faced a massive revenue loss of 2.46 billion rupees. Which also resulted in a decrease of 861 million rupees in tax revenue for the government. Mobile internet services make up around 60% of their total revenues. Which equates to roughly 820 million rupees on a daily basis. The government receives around 35% of this revenue. As a result, the overall economic loss to the country is likely to be massive.

In today’s world, every aspect of life in Pakistan is connected to the online world. And, businesses run their operations through online systems. However, the southern region, Sindh and Balochistan, and the side areas of the northern part of the country still experienced internet blockages, despite being relatively calm.

The social media blackout was initiated due to unrest following the arrest of PTI’s chairman Mr. Imran Khan by the country’s anti-corruption agency ‘NAB’. The shutdown resulted in a loss of economic productivity and digital services. Including digital payments, causing inconvenience to the people of Pakistan.

Social media sites are still down in Pakistan, and freelancers are also being badly affected. Especially young individuals who work on platforms such as Fiverr to earn their living.

To conclude, Pakistan’s social media blackout has caused significant economic losses and a decrease in tax revenue for the government. The shutdown has resulted in a loss of digital services and economic productivity for the people of Pakistan. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain the country’s digital infrastructure to ensure smooth operations for businesses and individuals alike.