Pain and frustration grip social media users and freelance workers in Pakistan as internet services face significant disruptions, ARY News reported. The pervasive internet slowdown has induced severe mental stress, particularly among the youth, who heavily rely on it for their daily earnings.

In Karachi, student Ezhaan, who has been balancing his studies with freelance work, finds himself struggling to maintain his online clientele due to the sluggish internet. His major project with 60 orders is currently stalled, creating multiple hurdles, ARY News shared. Similarly, freelancer Abdul Hai is facing challenges in his operations, unable to effectively use WhatsApp for team communications.

The disruption has broader economic impacts, with companies halting operations and freelancers losing work opportunities. Pakistan’s international reputation is also taking a hit, as slow internet speeds hinder taxpayer submissions through the Federal Board of Revenue’s online platform.

The Express Tribune reported that on August 18, State Minister for IT and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, attributed the slowdown to heavy VPN usage. While the government denies intentional internet throttling, they have acknowledged the widespread grievances and stressed the efforts being made to resolve these issues.

The internet in Pakistan is slow because the government has admitted to setting up a national firewall

Karachi, Pakistan — People in Pakistan reported much slower internet over the past several days with some experts on Monday estimating its speed falling to less than half its usual capacity at times.

The problem has affected millions of users, disrupted IT businesses, and generated nationwide complaints, while the authorities have denied the allegation.

On August 22 the News reported that Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Maj Gen (R) Hafeezur Rehman appeared in The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on IT last week and admitted on that the upgradation of the National Firewall System (NFS) or Web Management System (WMS) was underway for controlling or removing contents from social media, following directions received from executives or courts.He said the PC-1 for the NFS upgrade was approved in March 2019, when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was ruling the country. He also said that social media messaging service X, formerly Twitter, was banned for not complying with the directives issued by the interior ministry, as there was a defined mechanism to slap a ban or remove content on social media under the law of the land.

Under the Web Management System, it is the mandate of the PTA to comply with the orders of the executive or superior courts and cite examples that they removed content related to pornography or blasphemy.However, internet speed has now noticeably slowed down.

Users are unable to quickly send emails or use the messaging service WhatsApp, with businesspeople and doctors saying it has negatively affected their daily work, particularly receiving statements and medical reports.

the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information Technology unanimously rejected slowing down of internet or banning social media platforms.They directed the Ministry of IT to come up with exact estimates of losses faced by the IT sector, in collaboration with the sector specialists and Pakistan Software Houses Association (PASHA).

The NA Standing Committee on IT & Telecom held its meeting under the chairmanship of Aminul Haq here at the Ministry of IT on Wednesday. The PTA chairman briefed the committee and said that the NFS or WMS was installed in the 1990s and there was a requirement to upgrade it with time. He said that the upgrade of WMS was approved in March 2019, but it could not be done due to insufficient funds.

Pakistan Software House Association, which represents companies specializing in information technology, said in a statement this week that the disruptions could cause a loss of $300 million to the country’s already fragile economy. The association also accused the government of “hastily implementing a national firewall,” leading to the slow connection.

Shahzad Arshad, an internet service provider in the eastern city of Karachi, said that businesses are suffering because they can’t contact international clients or are having trouble sending and receiving files. Chaudhry Arif, who runs a software company in the capital, Islamabad, said the internet speed was from 40% to 80% slower than the previous week, with no signs of improvement.

However, on August 19,The News reported that Pakistan’s Minister for Information and Technology Shiza Fatima said the government wasn’t behind the slow internet and that no new restrictions have been placed. She said phones were slow to connect to cyberspace in some cases because of the use of virtual private networks or VPNs.

Umayr Hassan, a software engineer, said the authorities should clearly state if connections will remain unstable due to security measures. “There should be some clarity by the government … some logical explanation, not saying only the use of VPNs.”

The minister said authorities are “tirelessly trying” to find the root cause of the problem while acknowledging that the government was upgrading its system to improve cyber security.

Fareeha Aziz, a digital rights activist, wants the government to explain what caused the slow connection. “The government says it is not behind the slowdown of the internet. Then who did it?” she asked. Pakistan has 110 million internet users, nearly half the country’s population.

PTA Head Acknowledges Improved Firewall Systems

Amid growing concerns from the business community in Pakistan, the internet service providers on Wednesday alleged that the government’s heightened efforts to monitor internet traffic had resulted in a significant nationwide slowdown of services.A statement issued by the Wireless and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (WISPAP) said the government’s decision to enhance security and surveillance has had an unintended consequence, severely crippling the country’s digital economy. “Over the past few weeks, internet speeds have plummeted by 30 to 40 percent, creating a chaotic situation for businesses and individuals who rely heavily on fast, reliable connectivity.”

The association said the impact had been particularly devastating for call centers, e-commerce professionals, the online working class, and those who manage electronic-related businesses.

“These sectors, which form the backbone of Pakistan’s burgeoning digital economy, are now struggling to maintain operations, and the slowdown is threatening their very survival,” it said, adding that the situation had become so dire that many businesses were considering relocating their operations to other countries where internet services remain stable.

“It’s a very discouraging situation for our customers,” said WISPAP Chairman Shahzad Arshad. “Many are leaving the smaller ISPs because they cannot sustain the poor service quality anymore. If this continues, we will see a mass exodus of businesses from Pakistan.”

Arshad’s concerns were shared by numerous industry leaders, who cautioned that the current situation is not only tarnishing Pakistan’s reputation as a hub for digital entrepreneurship but also jeopardizing its economic stability. The inability to utilize VPNs due to heightened surveillance was further aggravating the issue, especially for international businesses and freelancers who depend on secure, uninterrupted internet access for their operations.

“We are seeing businesses planning to shift their operations abroad because the internet is simply no longer reliable,” said a leading e-commerce entrepreneur based in Karachi. “Without fast and secure internet, we cannot compete on a global scale, and this is pushing us towards the brink.”He said the panic within the business community is growing as the government’s measures showed no sign of abating.As the country navigated through these challenging times, the future of Pakistan’s digital landscape hangs in the balance, with businesses and consumers alike bearing the brunt of the slowdown, he regretted.”While the government remained steadfast in its commitment to enhancing security, the question remained at what cost to the nation’s digital economy? As businesses continued to suffer, there is an urgent need for a solution that balances security concerns with the need for robust and reliable internet access,” he said.

However today The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has said that the ongoing internet disruption across the country is expected to continue for another month as the faulty submarine cable blamed for the degradation of the services would likely to be repaired by early October.The statement came almost a week after the authority blamed the internet slowdown on fault in “two of the seven international submarine cables connecting Pakistan internationally”.

–By Faisal Rehman

Faisal Rehman is an independent journalist based in Pakistan. Currently associated as researcher/Content Creator at Women Media Center.