Pak-Sindh High Court Queries Internet Service Suspension

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has voiced its discontent regarding the suspension of internet services on the election day of February 8 and has demanded the federal government to provide an explanation for the disruption, according to a report by Dawn.

SHC Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi questioned, “Why are you making a spectacle of yourself in front of the world?” He directed authorities to reinstate internet services and social media platforms across the nation.

The court resumed hearing three petitions challenging the suspension of internet services, filed by lawyers Jibran Nasir and Hyder Raza, along with the Public Interest Law Association of Pakistan. These petitions were against the ministers and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority for obstructing access to social media platforms and disrupting mobile internet and broadband services leading up to the February 8 polls.

During the proceedings, Justice Abbasi remarked, “The way you held elections, everyone around the world witnessed it. Even the international media is telling the world how elections were held.” He noted that the internet was non-functional “here, there or anywhere”, emphasizing that services were disrupted everywhere.
“Don’t do this, the public understands who is doing what,” the judge added. “Let the whistle of the pressure cooker blow lightly, the more you try to clamp it down the larger the explosion would be,” he cautioned.

“Who’s going to be president, who’s going to be prime minister, who will get governorship; if this had to happen, why were elections held?” questioned Justice Abbasi.

The hearing was adjourned until March 5.

On January 24, the SHC issued an interim restraining order, directing the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and other respondents to ensure there is no disruption or shutdown of mobile phone, internet, and broadband services until January 29 unless relevant provisions of the Pakistan Telecommunication (Re-Organisation) Act, 1996, and Removal and Blocking of Unlawful Online Content (Procedure, Oversight, and Safeguards) Rules, 2021 were invoked.

However, on January 29, a federal law officer and the lawyer for the PTA requested more time to file comments on behalf of the authority, the information technology and communication and interior ministries. The court then postponed the hearing until February 6 and extended the interim order, as per Dawn’s report.

Despite the interim order, a countrywide suspension of cellular services was observed on February 8, the day millions of Pakistanis cast their votes. The caretaker government cited security threats for this decision, which was met with strong criticism both locally and internationally.