Amidst Imran’s Arrest, Pakistan Broke UN Agreement on Internet Access 3 Times

After witnessing the recent political turmoil which also brought several internet blackouts with it, Pakistani citizens are more furious than ever. It’s because their freedom of speech is suppressed by the state. But it’s not only the citizens, even Pakistan broke its UN agreement on internet access 3 times amidst former PM Imran Khan arrest and 7 times in total since 2021.

Additionally, in 2022, there were three instances of internet restrictions, including during a march organized by Khan and during live broadcasts of Khan’s speeches.

According to a study conducted by cybersecurity company and VPN provider Surfshark, it has been found that several countries, including Pakistan, have imposed internet restrictions despite pledging to uphold free internet in the 2021 UN resolution. This resolution aims to safeguard and promote human rights, but some supporting countries have not adhered to their commitment.

In this regard, a Surfshark spokeswoman Gabriele Racaityte-Krasauske said:

The UN resolution on human rights on the Internet aims to make countries openly condemn these shutdowns and other ways of restricting online speech. However, it’s concerning that even though 15 countries publicly supported the resolution, they still imposed internet restrictions.

Surfshark analyzed the perspectives of UN countries in the 2021 UN Human Rights Council (HRC) Resolution on internet rights. By comparing this information with data from Surfshark’s Internet Shutdown Tracker, they identified 15 countries that claimed support for the resolution but later imposed internet restrictions, essentially going against their word. These countries include India, Sudan, Cuba, Uzbekistan, Burkina Faso, Pakistan, Senegal, Russia, Brazil, Armenia, Indonesia, Mauritania, Nigeria, Somalia, and Ukraine.

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