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Karachi has experienced internet outages over the past three days, disrupting daily activities and resulting in financial losses for those reliant on online services.
Citizens have reported problems with both WiFi and mobile data services, as well as difficulties accessing social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram. They are struggling to send pictures, voice notes, large files, or upload videos as reported by Dawn. The disruptions are connected to the ongoing protests by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) supporters en route to the capital, Islamabad, where roadblocks and barricades have aggravated the situation. According to the report, despite being a major metropolitan city, Karachi still lacks an efficient public transportation system, causing a significant number of citizens to depend on online cab services. This disruption has led to significant frustration, especially among students and professionals who are the most impacted. "I commute daily from Saadi Town to I.I. Chundrigar Road using Bykea. It has been the most comfortable and affordable app for me so far. However, the internet disruptions have made it almost impossible to find a rider in the morning and even in the evening," Dawn reported citing a private employee Aqdas Jaffar statement. "This has been a complete nuisance. What have ordinary citizens done to deserve this? In times of political turmoil, it's always the common person who bears the brunt," he remarked. Neha, a 23-year-old student at Baqai Medical University, expresses a similar problem. "I can't afford to miss my classes, but commuting has become such a nightmare lately that it's hard to even describe. I used to book a rickshaw at my preferred rates every morning through inDrive, but with the current internet issues, I now have to pay double or sometimes even triple the price. I'm worried that things will only keep getting worse," she explained. The situation is not much better on the other side. Riders encounter similar, if not worse, challenges due to their heavy dependence on the income they earn through these apps. "I haven't been able to get more than five rides since yesterday. Whenever I accept a ride, either the map malfunctions or the app crashes. It's incredibly frustrating, and I honestly don't know when this will end," said Khuda Baksh, a Yango driver. The disruptions have been a major setback for small business owners. "As a small business owner, almost everything depends on the availability of the internet and social media," Maham Tariq, owner of Mayhem Bakes, shared. "From clients to vendors to contacting riders, the entire chain is disrupted due to these internet outages. This impacts my business, which is highly dependent on the Internet," she added. Syed Talal Rizvi, the owner of a brand called Attitude Apparel, faces a similar problem. "The logistics of my business have been entirely disrupted. I can't communicate with my customers effectively, and my website has been severely impacted due to malfunctioning ads. We've also lost over 100,000 on Meta ads because they didn't produce any results because of this issue," he told Dawn. Content creation is a rapidly growing field in Pakistan, but it is facing significant challenges due to ongoing internet disruptions. Zia Tabarak from Street Food PK expresses frustration over being unable to upload content on time, noting that it performs poorly on social media during such disruptions. "There is so much uncertainty right now. My entire work relies on internet access, and on days like these, it's incredibly frustrating as it throws off the entire content schedule. The vlogger community also loses brand deals because of these frequent interruptions. This is unacceptable and damaging to the economy," Zia shared. Zarrar Khuhro, an experienced journalist, offers his analysis of the situation and shares his perspective on how it is likely to develop moving forward. "We may call this the 'new normal,' but the truth is, there's nothing normal about this situation," he remarked. "The authorities must realize that economies can't thrive in an environment of uncertainty. Business projections rely on constants, yet we're left with nothing but variables, and people have no idea what will happen the next day. This only fuels the growing frustration people have with the authorities," he added. (ANI)
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