According to the government version, it was an oversight in the Election Bill 2017 (one of the forms, on the subject relating one's belief in the finality of prophethood of Muhammad, substituting the phrase “I solemnly swear” with “I believe”).

The National Assembly of Pakistan claimed it as a “clerical error” and later restored the original clause in the Election Act related to the finality of the prophethood in an oath that was turned into a religious and political controversy.

[11][12] On 25 November 2017, the NetBlocks internet shutdown observatory and Digital Rights Foundation identified mass-scale blocking of social media and content-sharing websites YouTube, Twitter and Facebook throughout Pakistan.

[13][14][15] Transmission of TV news channels were put off-air by PEMRA as a strategy of operation against sit-in protesters at Faizabad interchange, which immediately ignited as a countrywide demonstrations.

However, transmission of news channels were restored by PEMRA in the afternoon of 26 November 2017 and the PTA was instructed to lift its ban over social media websites.

The Government of Pakistan through the Ministry of Defence and the respective chiefs of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force are directed to initiate action against the personnel under their command who are found to have violated their oath," the court said.