LAHORE – Internet users woke up on Saturday to see unexpected shutdown of Defence.pk, a popular website in Pakistan, sparking speculations among the social media users.
“The site you are trying to access contains content that is prohibited for viewership from within Pakistan,” a message reads when the site is accessed.
The independent portal is blocked for unknown reasons, and can’t be accessed on the country’s main broadband service providers including PTCL and Wateen. However, some users can access the website through mobile network including Zong and Telenor.
While the ‘largest digital forum’ has “decided not to lay any blames until we have completed our technical analysis”, its administration is actively sharing posts on micro blogging site Twitter.
“We request our members & users who also are customers of @StormFiber to call in their ISP and inquire why PDF isn’t available through them.
We request our members & users who also are customers of @StormFiber to call in their ISP and inquire why PDF isn’t available through them. https://t.co/5DiW38ngOB
— Pakistan Defence (@defencepk) October 21, 2017
The management of Defence.pk also shared a way to access the website.
If you can’t access our Website via Android.
1: Activate ‘Developers Options’.
2: Enable ‘Mock Locations’.
3: Use a VPN/Tunnel app.
— Pakistan Defence (@defencepk) October 21, 2017
Following the shutdown, one of the social media users wrote on the Twitter handle of Defence.pk that “One of You must have criticised someone powerful in yr country”.
In reply, the forum said: “Criticism is protected under article 19. It is too early to say of someone corrupt but powerful individual is trying to suppress our voice.
Criticism is protected under article 19. It is too early to say of someone corrupt but powerful individual is trying to suppress our voice. https://t.co/VW8BxODx7k
— Pakistan Defence (@defencepk) October 21, 2017
Only the country’s chief regulator, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), can block an internet website for violating its code of conduct.
