Twitter abuzz with reports of YouTube outage in Pakistan during PTI power show

ISLAMABAD – Microblogging platform Twitter was abuzz on Sunday with reports that telecom regulator has restricted video streaming platform YouTube to limit the telecast of Imran Khan’s speech.

The development came amid the address of PTI Chairman and former premier Imran Khan to a mammoth crowd at Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh as his party kicked off a mass mobilization campaign.

Former minister and senior PTI leader Hammad Azhar said ‘it seems access to YouTube has been illegally and forcefully shut down by this fascist and coward regime,’, while others also shared tweets claiming outage of the video site.

It seems access to youtube has been illegally and forcefully shut down by this fascist and coward regime.

— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) August 21, 2022

Former human rights minister said 'regime change conspirators are scared of Imran Khan that today in middle of IK speech they blocked YouTube with the help of PTA. She called it shameful, saying fascism at its peak as fear overwhelms the cabal of crooks and their string pullers.

Regime change conspirators so scared of Imran Khan that today in middle of IK speech they blocked YouTube thru PTA. Shameful! This will not silence us. Fascism at its peak as fear overwhelms the cabal of crooks & their string pullers! THE WORD IS CERTAINLY MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD

— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) August 21, 2022

Can you tell me if you are down in Pakistan? @YouTube

— Ihtisham Ul Haq (@iihtishamm) August 21, 2022

Is everyone experiencing some problems with You Tube or just my internet??

— Mubasher Lucman (@mubasherlucman) August 21, 2022

YouTube has been blocked in Pakistan. Would the @GovtofPakistan explain why? Would @UsamaKhilji, @nighatdad please stand up. Are we living in the tribal age? Under what law is all of this happening?

— Syed Muzamil Hasan Zaidi (@hoflolz) August 21, 2022

Meanwhile, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) or any other official of ruling alliance have not commented on the matter. PTI also didn’t share any update about the YouTube outage till the filing of this story.

The development comes a day after Pakistan’s media regulatory body banned live telecast of Imran Khan’s speeches as the defiant politician criticised law enforcers and other institutions in his Saturday.

PEMRA maintained that Imran Khan’s speech violated Article 19 of the constitution, and ordered that only his recorded speech would be permitted to be broadcast.

Khan warned to file cases against senior police officials after his close aide Shahbaz Gill was arrested in sedition charges. He also accused the cops of torturing Gill in custody.

Meanwhile, the PML-N government is looking options to file a case against the former prime minister for his provocative speech.

Earlier, a private news channel ARY was taken off air for airing false, hateful and seditious content by the media regulatory body.