ISLAMABAD: After months of speculation about the installation of a so-called ‘firewall’ that could be leading to internet disruptions, the country’s IT minister finally confirmed that the government was indeed upgrading its ‘web management system’ to cope with cyber security threats.
Despite the rather ambiguous terminology used by Minister of State for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja, this was the first time an official had acknowledged the government’s actions, which have been blamed for everything from slow browsing speeds, the arbitrary blocking of social media platforms and WhatsApp connectivity issues on mobile data.
So far, official stakeholders — Ms Khawaja’s ministry and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) — had either been feigning ignorance in response to public outcry and media queries, or claiming that the problems were because of telecom and internet service providers, or even Meta.
Meanwhile, users continued experiencing problems in accessing social media platforms, including WhatsApp.
Downdetector, a website that provides real-time information about internet outages, received an unusually high number of complaints about disruptions in WhatsApp, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram between 12 noon and 1pm.
The services of ISPs, including PTCL, Zong and Nayatel were also affected during the day.
While talking to reporters after the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication meeting, Ms Fatima said the government had sought a report from PTA and other institutions over the internet disruption.
“The internet should never be slow. We have even been talking about bringing 5G technology to Pakistan. There is no doubt about that, and conversations about higher internet speed are underway.”
When the minister was asked about the ‘firewall’ — a blanket term used by the public to describe the causes of internet disruption in the absence of any official explanation — she said the issue had been “blown out of proportion”.
“The government has been operating a web-management system. The system is now being upgraded.”She also called the process “a routine exercise” across the globe to enhance internet security, without giving any detail to substantiate her claims about which other countries have deployed this system.
