Minister of State for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja on Wednesday addressed concerns regarding ongoing internet disruptions in Pakistan, acknowledging the challenges faced by internet users while emphasizing the government’s commitment to national security.
“Nothing is more important than national security,” she stressed, defending measures that have deteriorated internet speeds and accessibility. “We do not deny that there have been challenges in user experience in the last couple of months,” she said, while responding to criticisms from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmakers, including MNAs Abdul Qadir Patel and Nafisa Shah, who expressed frustration over the deteriorating state of internet services.
“We thought she would know better why the internet has been completely ruined in this country,” said Patel, referring to Khawaja. He cited various internet issues, including difficulties in loading images and voice notes on WhatsApp, saying these have disrupted businesses and education.
Maintaining some of the internet issues were due to security concerns, the minister said there was a need to “correct perceptions” on the ongoing disruptions. Stating the government was actively working to enhance internet infrastructure and user experience, she cited a report of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) as claiming a 28% improvement in average internet speeds over the past year. Additionally, she said, mobile data usage surged by 24%, and I.T. exports in November saw a 25% year-on-year increase.
On the ongoing blockage of social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Khawaja said security assessments had informed the decision. Parliamentary Secretary for Cabinet Secretariat Sajid Mehdi added the ban would end whenever the Interior Ministry deemed it appropriate. “They know better when the [security] conditions would improve or whether they are fine or not [currently],” he said.
Stressing the importance of cybersecurity, Khawaja claimed that Pakistan faces “millions of cyberattacks” daily, making it increasingly challenging to detect terrorist activity. “Our priority is to protect our citizens and their data,” she said, underscoring the need for robust cyber defenses.
According to the minister of state, the government is endeavoring to improve internet capacity. She said Pakistan’s internet operates on a 274MHz spectrum, which limits accessibility, adding efforts were underway to enhance spectrum density to match the region’s leading countries. She also announced plans to install four additional undersea cables over the next two years to boost connectivity and speed.
Khawaja’s testimony comes amidst mounting concerns among users and industry stakeholders. The Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) has warned that implementing a national internet firewall could result in economic losses of up to $300 million. The body has argued that internet disruptions and erratic VPN performance threaten business operations, urging the government to abandon the firewall initiative in favor of a collaborative cybersecurity framework.