As Pakistan election is happening ,they temporarily suspended mobile services as millions headed to the polls to voting a new government.
An interior ministry spokesman justified the measure, citing recent terror incidents in the country.
The election marked nearly two years since the previous prime minister, cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, faced ousting in a no-confidence vote.
Three-time PM Nawaz Sharif now appeared on the ballot, despite analysts deeming it Pakistan’s least credible election.
While both calls and data services got suspended, Wifi networks remained operational.
Expressing shock, a voter told the BBC that facilitating voters should take precedence over imposing hurdles.
Another individual anticipated a blanket shutdown.
The Interior Ministry spokesman rationalized the decision, attributing it to recent terrorism incidents and the necessity for security measures to maintain law and order.
The country remained on high alert following two bomb blasts that claimed 28 lives in the restive Balochistan province.
Security presence intensified at polling stations nationwide, with armed guards stationed at entrances and army officers patrolling the area.
Strict rules governed election coverage until voting ended at 1700 local time (1200 GMT). The timeline for announcing results remained uncertain, although they must be disclosed within two weeks of voting.
While Pakistan had previously shut down the internet to control information flow, such an extensive shutdown during an election was unprecedented.
With 128 million registered voters, nearly half under 35, the election featured over 5,000 candidates, with only 313 women.
The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) emerged as the two major parties.
Identifying candidates from Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party became challenging after a ban on using the cricket bat symbol.