For Karim, Tinder provided a safe space. The 25-year-old software engineer, who lives in Karachi, describes himself as an introvert in search of companionship. He also belongs to the Ismaili Shia community, a minority religious group whose members frequently face discrimination and violence.

“Being Ismaili is a huge influence on my social life. It is difficult to find a girl outside my community who is willing to date. This is why I joined Tinder. I feel apps don’t discriminate,” he says.

Tinder — which was downloaded more than 440,000 times in Pakistan in the past year — has long been popular among young people, who make up 63% of the country’s population. 

But, on September 1, the government announced an abrupt ban on all dating applications, blaming them for the spread of “immoral content.” Authorities regularly police online spaces in keeping with conservative and religious concerns. As the world’s second largest Muslim-majority country, extra-marital relationships and homosexuality are illegal in Pakistan.