Islamabad: Baloch activists’ online conference triggered panic in Imran Khan government and blocked social networking platform Twitter and video conferencing platform Zoom for a couple of hours on Sunday.
“Disruption to Twitter and Periscope registered across Pakistan with impact to multiple networks; incident ongoing,” said NetBlocks.org, an internet’s observatory which tracks disruptions and shutdowns across the world.
Many Pakistani Twitter users claimed that Pakistan government shut down Twitter and Zoom because of the SAATH Virtual Conference.
https://twitter.com/reedumaurier/status/1262127392375672832
Pakistan blocking Twitter & Zoom to silence criticism & the brave activists organising the #SAATHVirtualConf2020 is a telling show of how insecure The State is in itself.
Insha’Allah, Hum Dekhenge.
— shehrریا (@apnedostokijaan) May 17, 2020
Among other issues, Pakistanis discussed forced religious conversion of Hindu girls in Sindh.
Farha Kaghzi is speaking about forced conversions. State sides with religious fanatics instead of justice. State is party. Sindhi Hindu girls have to live in fear that they can be next. #SAATHVirtualConf2020 pic.twitter.com/2eG4yvoIxl
— Ahmad Waqass Goraya (@AWGoraya) May 17, 2020
The SAATH Virtual Conference was being held to discuss the atrocities on Balochistan residents.
However, a few hours later, both sites were restored in Pakistan.
