Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja said that the government had ordered the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and other relevant bodies to submit a report after citizens in various cities of Pakistan claimed they had been facing internet connectivity issues.
Her statement comes a day after the business community and the internet service providers alleged that the government’s heightened efforts to monitor internet traffic had resulted in a significant nationwide slowdown of services, leading to losses.
The Wireless and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (Wispap) said internet speeds over the past few weeks plummeted by 30 to 40 per cent and warned that the situation had become so dire that many businesses were considering relocating their operations to other countries.
Speaking to reporters, Khawaja said that the government had requested a report from PTA and other relevant institutions related to the disruption of the internet.“The relevant authorities, including PTA, have been asked to inform us about the impact on data traffic in the last two weeks,” she said.
“Internet should never be slow, we have even been talking about bringing 5G technology to Pakistan. There is no doubt that, and conversations about higher [internet] speed are underway.”The minister added that the government setting up a firewall had been blown out of proportion, adding that it was a routine exercise across the globe to enhance internet security.
“There was a web-management system being operated by the government before too, which is now being upgraded,” she said. “It is the right of the government to [take such measures] given the cyber security attacks that this country has to go through.”
Major online platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp have been hit hard since last week with users reporting slowdowns and difficulties in accessing messaging and social media applications.Some users have speculated that the disruptions were the result of a firewall being installed by the government to monitor and keep check on users.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had denied that the issue was caused by a firewall and said it had not received any complaints related to internet disruptions yet.
