Meta’s WhatsApp has been partially down in Pakistan since Muharram 10th (Ashura), with many users unable to send or receive any type of media on the messaging platform.
Read more: Concerns Rise Over Possible Ban of Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram in Pakistan
It is pertinent to mention that Facebook and Messenger were also blocked in Pakistan during Ashura as the government increased security for Ashura to avoid any problems. However, users of these platforms are still having trouble using these services.
WhatsApp users are having trouble sending or receiving any type of media, like photos, videos or even voice notes. Meanwhile, Facebook’s Messenger is also having trouble sending or receiving messages for many users.
It bears mentioning that X (formerly Twitter) has been blocked in the country since February’s General Election over security concerns and many people are fearing that trouble accessing WhatsApp and other social media platforms might end up in a complete ban as well.
There are rumors that Pakistan is in the process of implementing an Advance Firewall to control internet traffic, however, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has clarified that all such rumors are false.
According to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), the acquisition of firewalls intended for sole use on PTA’s internal IT infrastructure to enhance the security of PTA’s internal systems and will be used exclusively at PTA’s primary data center and its Disaster Recovery (DR) site.
It is still unclear why WhatsApp and other social media platforms are partially down in Pakistan, with users experiencing difficulties accessing these platforms. Meanwhile, there is a spike in complaints regarding the issue on Downdetector.pk.
Are you facing issues accessing any social media platforms? Let us know in the comments below.
