ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s State Minister for Information Technology (IT) Shaza Fatima Khawaja said on Thursday her ministry was addressing complaints of “slow” Internet speed in the country, which a union of freelancers said had significantly hit the earnings of over 2.3 million people.
Internet speed has dropped by 30-40 percent over the past few weeks, the Wireless and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (WISPAP) said this week, as the government moves to implement a nationwide firewall to block malicious content, protect government networks from attacks, and allow the government to identify IP addresses associated with what it calls “anti-state propaganda.” Khawaja has repeatedly responded to critics saying the government did not plan to use firewalls as a form of censorship.
A firewall is a network security device that monitors and filters incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security parameters. It acts as a barrier whose main purpose is to allow non-threatening traffic in and to keep dangerous and undesirable traffic out.
Pakistan’s Internet regulatory body, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has the technological ability to block unwanted content and prevent the access of local users to specific websites but the installation of the firewall is expected to enhance its capability to filter and monitor Internet content on a wider scale.
“There have been complaints of slow Internet and I have asked the PTA to provide data of the last two weeks to look at the data traffic to know the speed issue,” Khawaja told reporters after attending a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications.
“Internet should never be slow as the digital economy and digital governance depend on good Internet speed.”
When asked about the installation of a firewall, the minister said it was a cybersecurity matter and that countries around the world use the technology. Countries like China, Iran, Turkiye, and Russia have employed national firewalls for year to regulate Internet content, saying they aim to pinpoint and restrict sources of propaganda content
“Previously, the government was managing the web system but with increasing international cybersecurity attacks on the country, there is a growing need for the state to strengthen its ability to prevent these attacks,” Khawaja added.
Aisha Humera Chaudhry, the secretary of the IT and telecommunications ministry, explained during the standing committee meeting that broadband connections were not hit by low Internet speed but mobile users were facing Internet disruptions on their cellphones.
“The PTA is assessing the issue, and the ministry will be in a better position to provide an overview once the assessment is completed in two weeks,” she was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the senate secretariat after the meeting.
Ali Ihsan, Senior Vice Chairman of the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA), warned against the consequences of the firewall.
“The booming IT industry is facing a disaster, grappling with unprecedented operational disruptions that threaten the very foundation of Pakistan’s burgeoned tech sector,” he said in a statement, adding that prolonged Internet disruptions and erratic VPN performances were threatening a complete meltdown of business operations.
“These disruptions are not mere inconveniences but a direct, tangible, and aggressive assault on the industry’s viability – inflicting devastating financial losses estimated to reach $300 million, which can further increase exponentially,” he said.
The government’s ambiguity surrounding the firewall’s design and objectives had ignited distrust of Pakistani freelancers among their global clients, Ihsan said:
“They fear their proprietary data and privacy will be compromised, which only serves to erode the hard-earned trust and confidence in Pakistan’s IT capabilities.”
‘LOSING MORE AND MORE BUSINESS’
There are 19 million freelancers globally, out of which Pakistan has 2.37 million active freelancers. The South Asian nation ranks among the top four countries that offer freelance services, with key global platforms for freelance work being Upwork, Fiverr, and PeoplePerHour.
According to data from the central bank. Pakistani freelancers earned $397.3 million in foreign remittances during the fiscal year 2021-22. This amount is likely underreported as much of freelance income is received as home remittances.
“The businesses of over 2.3 million freelancers are suffering due to the slow Internet services,” Tufail Ahmed Khan, president of the Pakistan Freelancers Association (PAFLA), told Arab News.
“Not only freelancers but IT companies and e-commerce businesses are also affected by the significant degradation in Internet speed.”
He said Pakistani freelancers had earned over $350 million in 2023 while slow Internet speed was now making it difficult to complete projects online.
Khan said the most concerning aspect was that the government had given no timeline on when the issue would be resolved, with the uncertainty could damage Pakistani freelancers’ reputation among clients.
This week workers on Fiverr said the freelancing platform had made several accounts in Pakistan “unavailable” due to possible “Internet disruptions.”
“We are losing more and more business every day,” Khan lamented.
Asad Baig, executive director of the digital rights non-profit Media Matters for Democracy, said authorities were enacting laws to control the Internet rather than leveraging it for progress.
“They [government] should realize that the Internet is not only social media platforms, it is far beyond this,” Baig told Arab News. “And it is essential to give priority to this concept that in digital policymaking it is the only way to progress.”
Pakistani freelancers agreed, saying their earnings and reputation were both taking a hit due to the slow Internet speed.
Usman Mehmood, a freelance video animator since 2014, said slow Internet was disrupting timely communication with clients and completion of work.
“In our work time delivery of the project is essential, otherwise the client will move to [freelancers in] other countries, which is happening now,” Mehmood told Arab News. “It should be fixed at the earliest to save all the freelancer’s work.”
Kausar Aziz, who had worked as a freelance digital marketer since 2020, said slow Internet had hit her reputation and wasted money her clients had spent on advertising due to low visibility.
“I used to earn around Rs200,000 ($717) per month,” Aziz told Arab News, “but business is almost negligible for over a week.”
Pakistan minister says addressing ‘slow’ Internet speed as over 2.3 million freelancers, IT sector hit
https://arab.news/y6zs8
Pakistan minister says addressing ‘slow’ Internet speed as over 2.3 million freelancers, IT sector hit
- Freelancers complain of slow speeds as government moves to implement firewall to monitor and regulate content and social media
- Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) estimates financial losses due to slow Internet speed could be as high as $300 million
Pakistan tells UN India politicizing river flows by halting Indus treaty
- Ambassador Usman Jadoon calls access to clean water a fundamental human right
- He says India announced treaty suspension to cut off the lifeline of 240 million people
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan told a United Nations forum this week India was using river waters as a political weapon by suspending the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), warning that Islamabad would not allow New Delhi to cut off the lifeline of 240 million people or turn water into a tool of coercion.
The remarks came during an Arria-formula meeting of the UN Security Council, an informal session allowing open discussion on pressing international issues. The forum was held as tensions escalated following India’s decision to suspend the 1960 IWT.
While New Delhi has cited a recent militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir to justify the move, Islamabad has denied any involvement and warned that blocking Pakistan’s access to river waters threatens regional stability and violates international law.
Addressing the forum on Friday, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, Pakistan’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, emphasized that access to clean water was a fundamental human right. He condemned India’s actions, pointing out the suspension of the IWT constitutes a grave violation of international law.
“India’s decision to illegally and unilaterally suspend the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, aiming to impede the flow of water guaranteed to Pakistan under the Treaty, is a grave violation of international law, including human rights law, the treaty law and customary international law,” Jadoon said.
He further criticized statements from Indian leadership suggesting intentions to “starve the people of Pakistan,” describing such rhetoric as dangerous and perverse.
Jadoon called upon India to adhere to its legal obligations and refrain from actions that could disrupt the flow of rivers vital to Pakistan’s population.
“We strongly condemn India’s unlawful announcement to hold the Treaty in abeyance and call upon India to strictly abide by its legal obligations and refrain from stopping, diverting or restricting rivers that are a lifeline for 240 million people of Pakistan,” he continued. “We will never accept any such moves.”
The IWT, brokered by the World Bank in 1960, has been a cornerstone of water-sharing between the two nations. Its suspension marks a significant escalation in India-Pakistan relations, with potential implications for regional stability and humanitarian concerns.
Pakistan to cancel passports, register cases against deported citizens
- Move follows Middle East complaints over Pakistani nationals involved in begging
- A committee has also been tasked with strengthening passport rules and regulations
KARACHI: Pakistan’s federal government on Saturday decided to take stringent measures against its citizens deported from other countries for illegal activities by canceling their passports and registering criminal charges, in a bid to curb a growing issue that officials say is tarnishing the country’s international image.
The move follows mounting complaints, particularly from Middle Eastern countries, about public begging and undocumented migration involving Pakistani nationals.
The decision was made at a high-level meeting chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Islamabad.
“It was decided during the meeting that FIRs [First Information Reports] would be registered against deported individuals and their passports would also be canceled,” an official statement released after the meeting said. “The deportees would be placed on the Passport Control List for five years.”
Earlier this year, Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) said approximately 4,000 beggars had been deported by Saudi Arabia from 2022 until the end of 2024.
“Deportees are causing embarrassment for Pakistan at international level,” Naqvi said. “Thus, no leniency will be shown to them in the future.”
To further tighten passport regulations, the interior ministry also formed a committee led by the interior secretary.
According to the statement, the committee has been tasked with proposing reforms to strengthen the passport issuance process and enforce stricter scrutiny.
Last month, over 100 Pakistanis deported from various European countries arrived in Islamabad, with officials indicating that many had been involved in fraudulent or undocumented migration.
The latest measures build on earlier actions by the interior ministry aimed at discouraging illegal migration and curbing human trafficking.
Naqvi had previously announced plans to block the issuance of new travel documents to deportees and crack down on travel agents implicated in human smuggling.
Pakistan’s army chief hosts dinner for political leadership, praises their ‘foresight’ during India standoff
- The dinner was attended by President Zardari and Prime Minister Sharif along with other top officials
- Field Marshal Asim Munir hails the military’s performance and the public’s resilience during the war
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army chief praised the political leadership’s “strategic foresight” during a four-day military clash with India, according to an official statement on Saturday, as he hosted a dinner in their honor for their role in the conflict.
The event followed a brief but intense conflict earlier this month in which both nuclear-armed neighbors exchanged missile, drone and artillery strikes before agreeing to a US-brokered ceasefire.
As part of a series of honors marking Pakistan’s response, the government promoted the army chief, Syed Asim Munir, to the five-star rank of Field Marshal.
“In his remarks, the Chief of Army Staff expressed profound gratitude to the political leadership for their strategic foresight during Marka-e-Haq and lauded the seamless inter-services coordination that ensured operational success in Operation Bunyanum Marsoos,” Pakistan’s military media wing, ISPR, said in a statement.
The dinner brought together top political and military leaders including President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and service chiefs, as well as leaders from major political parties.
All the participants hailed the military’s performance and the public’s resilience during what officials described as a defining moment for the nation.
Munir also praised Pakistan’s youth and media for acting as a “steel wall” against what he called a disinformation campaign launched by India.
He further acknowledged the role of Pakistani scientists, engineers and diplomats, calling their efforts “critical” to the national response.
The gathering, according to the ISPR, served as a demonstration of unity and reaffirmed Pakistan’s collective resolve to move forward with “renewed strength and cohesion.”
Indian troops shoot dead Pakistani crossing frontier
- Incident occurred two weeks after India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire following a four-day conflict
- India’s border force says the man crossed the international border and failed to stop when challenged
AHMEDABAD: Indian border troops shot dead a Pakistani man who they said had crossed the international frontier and did not stop when challenged, the force said Saturday.
The shooting comes two weeks after arch-rivals India and Pakistan agreed a ceasefire after a four-day conflict, in which more than 70 people were killed in missile, drone and artillery fire.
India’s Border Security Force (BSF) said its troops Friday evening had spotted “one suspicious person advancing toward the border fence,” which lies beyond the international frontier in Gujarat state’s Banaskantha district.
“They challenged the intruder, but he continued to advance, prompting them to open fire,” the BSF said in a statement. “The intruder was neutralized on the spot.”
A photograph released by the force showed a dead man with greying hair.
The recent conflict between the nuclear-armed rivals was triggered by an attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22, the deadliest on civilians in the contested Muslim-majority territory in decades.
New Delhi blamed Islamabad for backing the militants it said carried out the attack, charges that Pakistan denied.
Pakistan PM to begin five-day tour tomorrow of Central Asia, Turkiye and Iran
- The development comes two weeks after Pakistan and India traded missile, drone and artillery strikes before agreeing to a truce on May 10
- During the four-day conflict, several friendly nations supported Pakistan’s demand for a probe into an attack that triggered the standoff
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will embark on Sunday on a five-day tour of Turkiye, Iran, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan to hold discussions about matters of regional and international importance, the Pakistani foreign office said, weeks after a military conflict between Pakistan and India.
Pakistan and India this month traded missile, drone and artillery strikes for days, killing 70 people, before agreeing to a US-brokered ceasefire on May 10.
The conflict was triggered by an attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22 that New Delhi blamed on Pakistan. Islamabad denies complicity.
During the conflict Several friendly nations supported Pakistan’s demand for a credible, international probe into the attack as they urged the nuclear-armed archfoes to exercise restraint.
“The prime minister will have wide-ranging discussions with the leaders of these countries on an entire range of issues covering bilateral relations and matters of regional and international importance,” the Pakistani foreign office said.
“He will also have the opportunity to express the deepest appreciation and acknowledgment for the support extended to Pakistan by the friendly countries during the recent crisis with India.”
Bitter rivals India and Pakistan have fought three wars, including two over the disputed region of Kashmir, since gaining independence from British rule in 1947. Both claim the Himalayan territory in its entirety but rule it in part.
The latest conflict between the two was the deadliest in more than two decades and raised fears that it could spiral into a full-blown war.
During his visit aimed at furthering Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach, Sharif will also attend the International Conference on Glaciers in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, according to the Pakistani foreign office.
The conference, to be held on May 29-30, aims to advance global efforts in climate adaptation and resilience, with a specific focus on addressing glacial melting.
Pakistan is highly vulnerable to climate change, facing numerous impacts like rising temperatures and increased frequency of extreme weather events.
Officials say unusually high temperatures in Pakistan’s northern areas have resulted in rapid melting of glaciers, warning that the prolonged phenomenon could lead to water shortages and threaten lives in the longer run.
