Pakistan: Internet freedom and democracy

In many democracies, internet freedom is an extension of an individual’s democratic rights both during and after elections. The right to discuss and share information about candidates and political parties is an important part of the democratic process, so much so that parties and candidates spend a large amount of money on online advertising, researching sentiments and other marketing activity on social media platforms.

However, over the last two decades or so, the internet has become a tool of oppression with the freedoms of individuals being undermined by governments that see online platforms as a potential weapon against their authority.

Internet shutdowns

Governments can conduct internet shutdowns in multiple ways. They can either completely shut down access to the internet entirely, which would require the Internet Service Providers to withdraw border gateway protocols that allow traffic to move through and find its destination. Or they can conduct packet filtering by blocking access to specific IP addresses. Packet filtering is especially useful if governments do not wish citizens to use specific services such as Facebook or X (formerly Twitter).

Pakistan recently carried packet filtering out in January when it blocked access to social media sites, with the telecommunications agency, the PTA, claiming a technical issue. The PTA is a government entity and therefore has the mandate to prevent ‘unlawful’ online content. There was also a country wide shutdown reported on the election day for Pakistan’s Parliament, which has caused controversy across internet freedom groups and other democracies.

Governments that conduct internet shutdowns, some may say, have a point. With disinformation and deepfakes on the rise, parsing ‘fact’ from ‘fiction’ is increasingly difficult and added to this, adversarial states regularly conduct disinformation campaigns to sway public opinion in ways that benefit themselves.

Furthermore, in the case of Pakistan, where mobile and internet shutdowns are frequent around elections, protests, religious holidays and other days of significance, do so for national security reasons. The government regularly cuts access to mobile phones or the internet during major protests or during festivals when religious tensions rise, allegedly to prevent armed fighters from communicating with each other.

That said, internet freedom is a critical tool in holding those in power to account, to discuss salient topics and key issues in any given country, and to share information – good and bad – about candidates and their past stances and actions. The right to freedom of expression on the internet is a hallmark of a democracy.

Internet freedom in Pakistan

Freedom House scores Pakistan 26 out of 100 for internet freedom. The lower the score, the less free a country is. As of April 2023, 53% of Pakistanis were using the internet, with damaged infrastructure, power outages and general accessibility issues often cited as frequent issues.

Regardless, access to the internet in Pakistan is just as important as any other country with 100% internet penetration. And the Islamabad High Court (IHC) supported this by declaring shutdowns as illegal in 2018, recognising the vital role platforms play in a democratic and free society.

Pakistan’s election for the members of the 16th National Assembly early this year was met with several internet shutdowns or unavailability of key social media platforms. The 128 million registered voters had their mobile services suspended on voting day, with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party reportedly heavily impacted as a result of their reliance on social media strategy. Despite this, the PTI were voted in with a much higher result than predicted, which led to the incarcerated PTI leader Imran Khan releasing an AI-generated video thanking voters.

Although elections are the cornerstone of a functioning democracy, internet shutdowns reflect the true state of the nation. In many cases, there is clearly a deep-rooted fear of the power online communities wield, whilst it is unclear whether shutting down the internet or mobile services has a tangible impact on the reduction of violence.

Pakistan’s system is influenced heavily by the military and their current disagreement with Imran Khan has defined the rhetoric around the current election. A coalition of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and its allies have formed a government with the PTI sitting in opposition. This led to Khan calling the election rigged and subsequently sparked protests by his supporters.

Violence has played a backdrop during the elections, but without tangible evidence that internet shutdowns will prevent further atrocities, it will continue to be seen as a scapegoat to prevent freedom of expression.

Senate elections take place in late March this year and over the weekend Pakistan elected Shehbaz Sharif for his second term as Prime Minister following allegations of election rigging. There are no reports currently that an internet or mobile shutdown took place over the weekend during the election of the Prime Minister. Internet shutdowns ultimately create more confusion and opportunity for candidates to use the blackout as evidence of election interference and rigging.

The next few months in Pakistan will be turbulent and internet access will continue to be a tool of control exercised in the aftermath of the elections and the lead up to the Senate elections. The question will remain about how much violence or protest may follow.