ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s telecom regulator has downplayed the ongoing problems with WhatsApp services being experienced by mobile network users in the country, attributing it to a possible “technical glitch”.
On July 20, many users in Pakistan began reporting problems sending and receiving media files such as voice memos, photos and videos on the popular messaging app while using their mobile networks.
Complaints included media files taking too long to download or not downloading at all, with some users receiving the following message from WhatsApp: “The document could not be downloaded. Try it again. If the problem persists, try connecting to Wi-Fi.”
The outage persists for many users.
Private telecommunications services in the country have also confirmed the problem. A spokesperson for Pakistan’s largest mobile network Jazz, who requested anonymity, told Geo Fact Check that the company had received reports of WhatsApp outages.
A Zong Pakistan representative said it was difficult to pinpoint the exact problem and declined to comment further.
However, Malahat Obaid, a spokesperson for the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), denied any problems with WhatsApp at present.
