Pakistan partially shuts down mobile and internet services ahead of pro-Imran Khan protest

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan suspended mobile and internet services in “areas of security concern” on Sunday, supporters of Islamabad said. Jail of former Prime Minister Imran Khan prepared for something protest in the capital.

The government and the Ministry of Home Affairs published the announcement on social media platform X, which is banned in Pakistan. They did not specify the regions nor did they say how long the suspension would be in effect.

“Internet and mobile services will continue to operate as usual in the rest of the country,” the posts said.

Meanwhile, telecom company Nayatel sent emails to customers in areas where mobile phone service was suspended, offering a “reliable landline service” as a temporary solution.

Khan has been in jail for more than a year and has more than 150 criminal cases against him. But he remains popular and his political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, says the trials are politically motivated.

His supporters rely heavily on social media to demand his release, using messaging platforms such as WhatsApp to share information, including details of events.

Pakistan has already sealed off the capital Islamabad with shipping containers and blocked major roads and highways connecting the city to PTI strongholds in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces.

PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram said Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi went to Islamabad in a convoy led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur.

“The party cannot leave its workers alone,” Akram said.

Government bans and targets social media platforms VPN servicesAccording to internet advocacy group Netblocks. The group said in a statement on Sunday that live measurements showed WhatsApp backends were being throttled in Pakistan, affecting media sharing on the app.

The U.S. Embassy issued a safety alert for Americans in the capital, encouraging them to avoid large gatherings and warning that “even peaceful gatherings can turn violent.”

Last month officials suspended cell phone service in Islamabad and Rawalpindi to prevent a pro-Han rally. The shutdown disrupted communications and affected daily services such as banking, ride-hailing and food delivery.

The latest crackdown took place on the eve of the visit. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Interior Minister Muhsin Naqvi said authorities had sealed off the city’s Red Zone, where key government buildings are located and a destination for Khan’s supporters.

“Anyone who reaches there will be arrested,” Naqvi said at a press conference.

Accusing PTI of inconveniencing people and businesses, he said security measures were in place to protect residents and properties.

He added that the protesters planned to follow the same route as the Belarusian delegation, but the government went beyond that scenario.

Naqvi denied that mobile services were suspended and said only mobile data was affected.