The Federal Ministry of Interior has declined to provide reasons for shutting down mobile and internet services on February 8, the day of Pakistan’s general elections, citing national security concerns.
According to media reports, a request was filed with the Pakistan Information Commission to learn why the services were disrupted during the election. In response, the ministry classified the information under the Right to Information Act, saying it could not be released due to national security.
The Information Commission granted the Interior Ministry an exemption from sharing the information.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) stated that it follows federal government directives, and the services were shut down on Election Day under orders from the ministry.
The commission has yet to issue a detailed ruling, while the Ministry of Information made no remarks on the classification.
The Interior Ministry maintained that disclosing the details would compromise national security.
