Social media blackout fuels momentum

A state-imposed social media blackout to quell massive protests around the arrest of Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan has instead fuelled momentum for him, analysts say.

Moments after Khan was detained by a swarm of paramilitary Rangers on Tuesday, the interior ministry restricted nationwide access to Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Mobile data coverage -- used by political activists to organise protests on messenger apps such as WhatsApp, but with far larger effects on the wider populace -- was also cut.

But Khan's supporters quickly found workarounds, leaving social media awash with calls for protest and shaky handheld clips of thousands of demonstrators clashing with police.

The move was a "crass miscalculation" by authorities, according to Shahzad Ahmad, director of digital rights organisation Bytes for All. "It's only going to work against them."

Leading his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in opposition, Khan remains staggeringly popular and has crafted a campaign accusing the parties and army of colluding to keep him out of power, lock him up and even assassinate him.

Blocking social media only fuels the PTI's argument, said digital rights activist Usama Khilji.

"It's adding to their popularity because it's being seen as a move to curtail basic rights of citizens."