WhatsApp users face disruption across Pakistan

KARACHI: Internet users throughout Pakistan faced significant difficulties connecting to WhatsApp on Saturday, which occurred shortly after the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) warned the government about the serious consequences of internet shutdowns and a possible ban on virtual private networks (VPNs).

Data from the outage monitoring platform, Downdetector, indicated a peak of 207 complaints within a single hour, primarily around 10 PM on Saturday. Of those affected, 67% reported challenges in sending messages, particularly media files, while 16% encountered issues receiving them.

The disruptions in the Meta-owned messaging application were most pronounced in Punjab, although Khyber Pakhtunkhwa experienced intermittent problems.

In Sindh, Karachi was noted to have suffered the most significant effects from the outages, according to Downdetector’s heat map.

Industry sources confirmed difficulties in sharing media files, yet the underlying cause of the issue remained unclear.

Also read: PTI protest: Internet service to remain suspended in THESE cities

Internet service providers faced criticism from users due to the unexpected WhatsApp outage, with complaints primarily focused on the inability to share media files, although the specific reason for the disruption was not identified.

In the absence of any official communication, some users speculated that the outages were connected to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) highly publicized protest in Islamabad on Sunday.

Disruptions to WhatsApp have become a frequent occurrence in the country, particularly during significant events such as PTI protests.

Officials have consistently attributed these outages to technical difficulties or damage to submarine cables.

On X (formerly Twitter), accounts associated with the PTI initiated a campaign on Saturday, urging X owner Elon Musk, who also leads SpaceX, to make Starlink available in Pakistan.

Starlink is a satellite network created by SpaceX to provide affordable internet access to remote areas.