Following the arrest of PTI chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday, which led to civil unrest nationwide, the government tried to silence masses by enforcing a social media lockdown, which backfired as the Pakistani awaam had a trump card up their sleeves — VPN!
Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter may be down, but that didn’t stop Pakistanis from having a little fun on social media, coming up with some hilarious memes online to lighten everyone’s mood during this troubling time.
The social media lockdown was implemented in the wake of the arrest of PTI chairman Imran Khan, sparking widespread protests across the country. However, the government’s attempt to stifle dissent has unintentionally sparked a revolution of humor and wit among Pakistani netizens.
With mobile broadband services also suspended on the orders of the Interior Ministry, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) seemed to have inadvertently unleashed a secret weapon: VPNs. These virtual private networks, designed to bypass firewalls by changing IP locations, have become the saviors of Pakistani meme culture.
As internet disruptions spread across the country, social media enthusiasts turned to VPNs as their ultimate weapon of choice. Armed with these technological marvels, Pakistani meme makers found ingenious ways to continue sharing their hilarious creations, all while poking fun at the government’s attempts to silence them.
Amidst the chaos, Twitter users led the charge, dishing out an endless stream of jokes and memes, proving that the spirit of laughter cannot be contained. Long live VPNs indeed!
Here are a few hilarious memes to sum up the situation.
A couple of tweeps called out the govt.’s social media lockdown by questioning how the Islamabad Police as well as a few politicians were still able to tweet.
As the protests against Imran Khan’s arrest rage on, Pakistanis have discovered an unexpected silver lining in the social media lockdown. By utilizing VPNs to bypass the restrictions, they have turned the government’s actions into a punchline and demonstrated their resilience in the face of adversity.
While the future of social media in Pakistan remains uncertain, one thing is clear: Pakistani awaam have shown that no matter how bleak things may look, and how hard the government tries to suppress our voices, they can’t kill our sense of humor and positive spirit. We are dheet and proud!
