Pak govt hints at shutting down internet

Pakistan's caretaker Interior Minister Gohar Ejaz on Tuesday hinted at the possible suspension of the internet service in case of security issues in any area on the election day today while Amnesty International called for uninterrupted internet access across the country during the polling process. The minister said the government would consider suspending the internet service on February 8 only if it receives a request from a district or province in view of the security situation. Ejaz claimed that the caretaker government had so far not made any decision to suspend the internet service on polling day. "Before taking any such decision for a specific area, the government would look into the nature of the threat as it is necessary to block the online communication of terrorists," he added.