But a young, tech-savvy citizenry has quickly adapted, using virtual private networks (VPNs) to hide their locations and skirt restrictions, Ahmed said.
Despite the ban, Twitter was “still very active in the country because people had VPNs ready,” he said. However, mobile data outage cannot be prevented just like that.
In Peshawar, PTI supporter Ikram Khan told AFP that party workers were expecting a “complete (internet) shutdown” so they quickly transferred mobile phone clips to computers equipped with wired internet connections and VPNs.
There were delays in uploading videos to Instagram and Twitter and streaming service Facebook Live could not be accessed, but “we still did our job well”, the 31-year-old told AFP.
“We know how to handle the situation.” The internet shutdown has sparked international condemnation.
Amnesty International Pakistan campaigner Rimmel Mohideen told AFP it was a “clear human rights violation”.
This “could facilitate further violations of human rights, including obstructing documentation of unlawful use of force,” she said.