Regional shutdown
Mobile Internet
Balochistan
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has reportedly ordered Internet Service Providers to suspend mobile Internet services in the Balochistan region due to security concerns.
- Total Duration 121 days, 11 hours
Pakistan
- Population
- 251,269,164
Freedom House rates Internet freedom as Not Free
Local impact
The Balochistan Post reported that the suspension was enforced due to possible security threats amid heightened tensions around Pakistan’s National Day celebrations.
A government spokesperson told international news agency Reuters that armed groups had been using the Internet to coordinate activities. The suspension, he said, was intended to disrupt such communications.
A reported notification issued by the PTA confirmed that mobile internet services will remain suspended across Balochistan until 31 August.
According to one report, a Senator and senior lawyer have submitted a motion in the Senate for debate on the Internet shutdown, terming it a matter of urgent public importance.
Balochistan is one of Pakistan's largest provinces by size, bordering Afghanistan and Iran. More than half (8.5 M) of its 15 million inhabitants are cell phone subscribers.
Related documentation
Neither the government nor the PTA has shared any official documents ordering the shutdown and its cause.
Other supporting information
It’s difficult to measure the effect of local/regional Internet shutdowns, as most measurements are done at a country level. Learn more
Social media
عدالتی حکم کے باوجود #بلوچستان میں موبائل انٹرنیٹ سروس بحال نہ ہو سکی۔انٹرنیٹ بندش اور حکومتی ہٹ دھرمی پر آن لائن تعلیم حاصل کرنے والے طلبہ نہ تو کلاسز میں شریک ہو پا رہے ہیں اور نہ ہی اسائنمنٹس جمع کرا سکتے ہیں انکا تعلیمی سال خطرے میں ہے آن لائن کاروبار اور فری لانسنگ سے… pic.twitter.com/Whw23lefwD
— Zara baloch (@Zara_Baloch26) August 18, 2025
"Our entire work depends on the internet; this shutdown has pushed us to the brink of financial collapse,” said one business owner. Via Balochistan Post