According to a media report on Friday, the Pakistan government for the first time admitted that it was upgrading its “web management system” to be able to handle cyber-security threats amid speculations of installing a so-called ‘firewall’ resulting into interruptions in the internet services in the country. Many people across Pakistan have been experiencing difficulty accessing internet services as a result of limited connectivity especially when using mobile data in some areas.
So far, official stakeholders in Pakistan have either been playing dumb to public outcry and media questions, or blaming telecommunication and Internet service providers for the issues, or even calling them Meta.
Speaking to reporters after Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication meeting on Thursday, Minister of State for IT Shaza Fatima Khawaja said that the government had asked the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and other institutions to submit a report about the disturbance of internet.
“The internet should never be slow. We are even talking about bringing 5G technology into Pakistan. No doubt about this one, discussions about higher speed are going on,” stated Khawaja.
When questioned whether there was any truth behind ‘firewall’ – a catch-all phrase used by ordinary people to describe why their access has been cut without an official explanation – she said that “it was blown out of proportion.”
The government has web-management system. The system is currently being upgraded.
She also described it as “a routine exercise” internationally aimed at strengthening cybersecurity without revealing which other countries have implemented such systems.
“It is right for governments to take measures to safeguard their interests given that there are cyber security attacks against Pakistan,”
This was apparently reported by Dawn newspaper as the first time when an admission was done by any government regarding its actions being responsible for amongst other things; low browsing speeds; selective blocking social media platforms; WhatsApp problem with mobile data connections
On Thursday Downdetector received many complaints during noon time until one o’clock about interruptions in WhatsApp, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.
Also on Thursday, a petition was filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) against “a nation-wide internet shutdown” for immediate restoration of internet access.
