Massive public outrage over internet disruption in Pakistan

Public outrage continues to grow over extremely slow internet speed and severe disruptions across Pakistan as the government led by Shahbaz Sharif has reportedly installed firewalls to monitor anti-state content on social media amid anti-government campaigns and protests led by opposition party Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) that shook capital Islamabad, last week.

The continuous slow speed of internet and data connectivity has made it almost impossible for users to send and receive messages, images, videos or voice notes on social media applications. Moreover, IT professionals, business houses, digital marketers, content creators, remote job workers and students getting online education have been severely affected by the ongoing internet disruption.

Pakistan’s Federal Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecom, Shaza Fatima however claimed that the situation is under control and the issue is being overblown.

She maintained that her ministry is leaving “no stone unturned” to ensure seamless continuity throughout the country.

“The government is committed to protecting the IT and telecom Industry. To achieve this goal, we are updating existing systems and are focusing on key areas, including enhancing tower intensity, broadening broadband internet access and tackling pressing cybersecurity concerns to provide better coverage, boost economic growth and ensure a secure online environment for citizens,” said Fatima.

“Pakistan faces millions of cyberattacks daily, making it increasingly difficult to detect terrorist activity. There is nothing controversial about a country being worried about its cyber security. The entire world uses different cybersecurity mechanisms,” she added.

Fatima urged all business users, freelancers and others to register their IPs to get uninterrupted access to Virtual Private Network (VPN).

The government claimed that it also wants to put a curb on fake news, disinformation, misinformation, fake propaganda and incitement to violence that is being disseminated through many social media platforms against Islamabad and the military establishment.

On Sunday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz announced the formation of a 10-member task force dedicated to work on handling and tackling campaigns on social media platforms against the security forces, the state and the military establishment.

The notification by the PM office stated, “Multiple domestic and foreign-based media platforms are being used to perpetrate concocted, baseless, and inciting news implicating state apparatus for committing serious human rights violations. The campaign affected the law-and-order situation in the country, and to attract foreign audience, perpetrators of the campaign attempted to create serious human rights violations through fictitious violent images and contents.”

“I don’t know what the government is thinking and why it is completely ignorant to the fact that putting a firewall and more internet security measures is inflicting massive losses to people from all walks of life,” said Khurram Ali, an IT professional in Karachi.

“From IT companies working with international clients to a delivery boy on the road, everyone is facing difficulties in managing work and communication. Companies are losing their clients because of internet interruptions,” he stated.

IT experts maintain that inconsistency in internet connections is denting the country’s economy with sectors like IT and telecom, which generate daily profits worth billions, getting directly affected.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) Chairman Major General (retired) Hafeezul Rehman has said that the government has approved extending the deadline to register virtual private networks (VPNs), though no new deadline was given.

VPNs are widely used around the world to access content that may be inaccessible or blocked for internet users in their home country. The use of VPNs has surged in Pakistan as people are using them to access X, which has been banned since February, as well as a host of other websites.

Tariq Butt / IANS