The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, otherwise known as PTI, has now called on Elon Musk- owner of X-formerly Twitter- to initiate the Starlink satellite internet services in Pakistan since there has been a major internet disruption before the party’s “do-or-die” protest in Islamabad. Behold, the protest is scheduled for Sunday, November 24, and will call for the restoration of democracy and human rights.
In a statement put on the party’s official website, PTI directly addressed Musk’s increasingly deteriorating situation in the country. The party slams the government for shutting down mobile internet services in some cities, including Islamabad, Karachi, and Rawalpindi, and for putting the possibility of a county-wide blackout to suppress the protest. A PTI’s statement accused the government of authoritarian practices, claiming internet shutdowns and other security measures were part of wider efforts to curb dissent from opposition voices.
Also Read: Islamabad Airport Secured for PTI Protest, Flights Unaffected
“Millions of Pakistanis are marching for the restoration of democracy, the protection of the constitution, and human rights. The world needs to see and hear their remarkable story! Pakistan needs Starlink.” This comes in the wake of a growing disruption of mobile and internet services throughout the nation. These include major cities like Islamabad, Karachi, and Rawalpindi, which have experienced service outages. Major parts of southern Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also sited internet suspension. While some areas had no issues, the government has spoken about shutdowns being for security measures stemming from the planned protest.
The PTI protest coincides with the state visit of Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus. The protest is primarily aimed at demanding the release of the former Prime Minister Imran Khan, throwing allegations about rigging elections, and the controversial passage of the 26th Constitutional Amendment. The backdrop for all this is the end of Section 144, together with a huge number of police, Rangers, and Frontier Constabulary personnel around Islamabad. However, the protest seems to be an event that PTI thought was crucial for its fight against aspects that threaten democracy and human rights in the country.