Pakistan Telecommunication Authority restores internet services across country

After a threeday suspension the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority PTA on Friday confirmed that it had started restoring internet services across the country reported Dawn The PTA said in its statement that access to social media platforms Facebook Twitter and YouTube was also being restored in the countryThe telecom regulator suspended mobile broadband services across the country on May 9 on the interior ministrys directives Enraged PTI supporters resorted to violence attacking military and government buildings in Lahore Rawalpindi and Peshawar The step was taken by the authorities to control the spread of chaos while access to major social media sites including Facebook Twitter and YouTube was also blocked since thenAs a result of the suspension of data service businesses suffered significant losses reflected by a 50 per cent slump in the pointofsale transactions routed through the countrys main digital payment systems a day after Imrans arrest reported Dawn And despite calls for the restoration of the data service from within and outside the country Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said earlier today that it would remain suspended until people involved in violence and damaging properties during recent protests were caughtAlso Read Imran Khan gets reprieve from arrest in graft case granted bailA PTA spokesperson confirmed to Geo News today that internet services were being restored after directives to this end were received from the interior ministry The internet suspension has resulted in an approximate revenue loss of Rs 820 million for telecom operators reports have suggested a huge dent to the sector as the economy remains in a fragile stateEarlier more than 100 members of the business community and civil society released a joint statement saying We are deeply troubled by and condemn the recently reported and ongoing use of partial and complete internet shutdowns as well as targeted content and app blocking following the nationwide protests The affected people they said also included the hundreds and thousands of freelancers and digital creators reported DawnWe emphatically call on the government of Pakistan to immediately lift restrictions intended to disrupt or prevent the citizens from accessing and disseminating information online and from communicating safely and securely We also urge the government to recognise internet access as a basic fundamental right which cant be taken away arbitrarily they saidEarlier today Amnesty International urged Pakistan authorities to lift restrictions on the internet services Rimmel Mohydin the South Asian campaigner at Amnesty International said There is an urgent need to deescalate the situation in Pakistan as it threatens further severe violations of rights of the people and risks more fatalitiesThe decision to restore the internet comes a day after the Supreme Court declared Khans arrest from the premises of the Islamabad High Court IHC illegal and directed the authorities to release him immediately The top court also asked the PTI chief to approach the IHC for bail Subsequently Khan appeared in front of the high court today which granted him two weeks protective bail in the AlQadir Trust case in which the PTI chief was arrested and barred authorities from arresting him in any other case till May 15This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever