WhatsApp and Instagram users across Pakistan are facing disruption with sharing voice notes and media files like pictures and videos since Thursday night. Major cities like Islamabad, Lahore, Faisalabad, and Karachi are most affected by this disruption in WhatsApp and Instagram.
On August 10 users went to social media to complain about the situation and to express their frustration. Several individuals expressed their dissatisfaction with the slowness of WhatsApp and Instagram services, with messages not being sent or received properly.
Some users had to use VPNs to successfully send voice notes and media. At the same time other users have not encountered any problems, which suggests that the services are functioning properly.
Even though the number of complaints is increasing, there is no official statement from Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) yet to address the slowdown in these applications or the broader Internet services in the country.
According to the Data from DownDetector, a platform that monitors Internet service disruptions, confirms that users from different cities have experienced a drop in the performance of WhatsApp and Instagram.
The situation has left many users frustrated, particularly given the importance of these platforms for communication and business in the digital age. As of now, there is no official word on when normal service will be restored or if the firewall trials are the definitive cause of the slowdown.
Given the importance of these platforms for business and communication, the situation has left users frustrated. For the time being it is not known when the services will be restored.