Pakistan votes today. In a record year for elections, Pakistan joins the nearly four billion people across the world who will vote for their representatives.

When the last general elections were held in Pakistan in 2018, there were at least 11 documented internet shutdowns. This election cycle has been no different.

We have already seen multiple shutdowns around activities by opposition parties. Authorities shut down the Internet, specifically targeting mobile and online platforms amidst protests following the arrest of opposition leader and former prime minister Imran Khan in May 2023. It is reported that 125 million people were affected by the government’s decision to suspend Internet access.

Access to online platforms was blocked in December 2023, as well as on two separate occasions in January 2024. This interfered with the opposition’s election campaigning online. Given this background, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA)’s justifications, attributing a recent blackout to ongoing system upgrades which will continue for the next “two to three months”, raise alarm.

Internet shutdowns interfere with people’s livelihoods and have tremendous adverse impacts on countries’ economies. Shutdowns can........

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