Restore the internet! Shutdown disrupts lives, businesses, over $53 million lost in one day

Restore the internet in Pakistan!

The shutdown has disrupted lives, and businesses, and over $53 million was lost in one day!

Thursday has been the straight third day for the citizens facing the internet, and mobile apps shut down.

The government suspended internet services on Tuesday after PTI chief Imran Khan’s arrest sparked violent protests across the country.

The shit down of mobile data services has led to great economic costs, affecting millions of citizens who have come to rely on the internet for everything from earning a living to paying bills and buying groceries.

As reported, point-of-sale transactions routed through Pakistan’s main digital payment systems fell by around 50% as of Thursday.

Data by 1LINK (Pakistan’s major facilitator of POS digital payment transactions for international platforms such as Visa and Mastercard) on POS through its platform showed international payment card transactions were down on Wednesday by 45% in volume, from a daily average of 127,000 during the week of May 1 to 7 to approximately 68,000 on May 10.

The daily value of transactions using international payment cards in Pakistan was down 46%, from 606 million rupees ($2.14 million) to 330 million rupees ($1.16 million) on May 10.

Mobile data services have remained shut across the country since Tuesday night on the orders of the interior ministry.

This has been the longest such continuous shutdown in a country!