Pakistan has been grappling with slow internet speeds in recent weeks. This has led to speculation that the government is secretly testing a new firewall system. The goal would be to better control and monitor the country’s internet.
The government denies being responsible for the slowdown. It has affected millions of users and disrupted businesses nationwide. Minister of State for Information Technology Shaza Fatima stated that widespread use of VPNs has strained the network.
This has caused the slow speeds. However, activists remain skeptical of the government’s claims. Shahzad Ahmad, director of digital watchdog Bytes for All, says his organization has evidence proving the existence of a firewall.
“It seems its purpose is to monitor online traffic and limit the dissemination of information, particularly curbing political expression,” Ahmad said. Business leaders have warned that the slow internet could jeopardize Pakistan’s economic potential.
Pakistan businesses face internet challenges
The Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) stated that the firewall and poor VPN performance could lead to a “complete meltdown of business operations.” This could potentially cost the IT sector up to $300 million. Wardah Noor, founder of IT training firm XWave, has received hundreds of complaints from users. Her company had to end live online sessions early due to connectivity problems.
They have switched to recorded lessons as a backup plan. Azam Mughal, a cybersecurity expert at P@SHA, confirmed that businesses have seen major financial losses. “International customers have told these companies they don’t want to give them projects in future, since everything in tech has to be about delivering on time,” Mughal said.
Despite these challenges, Pakistan’s IT sector still recorded solid export growth in the past fiscal year. IT exports reached $3.2 billion, up from $2.5 billion the previous year. However, the current internet issues threaten to derail this progress if not resolved soon.
Activists have filed a petition before the Islamabad High Court. They are calling for internet access to be declared a fundamental right under Pakistan’s constitution. The ongoing situation underscores the need to balance cybersecurity measures with enabling business operations and technological advancement in the country.
