Social media platform Twitter and its video streaming service Periscope along with a virtual conferencing app Zoom were blocked for many hours in Pakistan before returning to normal in the midnight.
According to the netblocks.org, an internet observatory, Twitter, Periscope and Zoom were blocked in Pakistan for multiple hours. The data released by the observatory showed that the websites were blocked in selected areas of Pakistan.
However, many users were able to access the website with ease. According to analysts, the possible reason behind the blocking of social media website could be the on-going SAATH Virtual Conference.
SAATH is a forum founded by Pakistan’s former ambassador in America Mr Hussain Haqqani and Columnist Mr Muhammad Taqi. Today on Sunday, the forum had announced a virtual conference to speak on multiple on-going issues including the mysterious death of Baloch journalist Sajid Hussain and Pashtun Tahafuz Moment’s leader Arif Wazir.
According to the list released by the forum, the speakers were Nabi Bakhsh Baloch, Gul Bukhari, Afrasiab Khattak, Ahmed Waqas Goraya, Taha Siddiqui and Gulalai Ismail.
One of the speaker of the Conference Mr Ahmed Waqas Goraya accused Pakistani authorities of blocking the video conferencing app Zoom in Pakistan so that the participants residing in Pakistan could not use it to join the conference.
He further wrote that the conference’s video will be uploaded soon as the public could not attend it due to the blockage.
Twitter and other blocked website have been restored, however, the actual reason behind the selected blocking of the websites is yet to be confirmed by PTA authorities.