Internet Services Slowly Restored in Islamabad and Rawalpindi

Mobile internet connections were restored in Islamabad and Rawalpindi on Wednesday morning following a three-day shutdown. Residents could only use Wi-Fi and regular cell phones because of the problems caused by the lockdown implemented by the government to stop peaceful protests.

After a violent crackdown by police on Jinnah Avenue, the demonstration finally came to a close late Tuesday night. The situation has returned to normal, and life in the Twin Cities has begun to return to normal. The internet was temporarily disabled at the request of the Interior Ministry due to security concerns, according to sources within the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

A firewall had previously blocked access to mobile internet as well as social media sites like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook. During the downtime, users had problems while trying to upload or download media assets. According to PTA sources, mobile internet services are up and running again, but social media platforms will not be restored until the security situation is assessed.

Wi-Fi and conventional mobile network services were unaffected by the outage that hit mobile internet and social sharing. However, for local businesses and citizens, the extended suspension had a major effect on digital and communication activity.