• IT minister denies any attempt to restrict web access, claims problems stem from users trying to bypass the local network
• Says the problem took “a few days” and is now fixed; announces new Prime Minister-led body to digitalise services
• Four new internet cables will be laid; the 5G spectrum auction is scheduled to take place early next year

KARACHI: The country’s IT minister on Sunday categorically denied reports that the government was throttling the Internet.

Internet speeds have dropped significantly in recent weeks and users are having trouble sending or downloading media and voice messages on WhatsApp when connected to mobile data, and browsing speeds are slow even on broadband connections.

The business community and Internet service providers (ISPs) had claimed that the government’s efforts to monitor Internet traffic had led to a slowdown in digital services and thus economic losses.

At a press conference in Islamabad on Sunday, Shaza Fatima Khawaja acknowledged public frustration over internet issues.

“I want to reassure the public that the Internet has not been shut down or slowed down by the government,” she said.

She denied that the government was involved and claimed that internet speeds had been reduced because a large number of people had switched to virtual private networks (VPNs) to access certain apps.

“The problem was limited to some services and certain apps that could not be downloaded, which led to a large part of the population starting to use VPNs,” the minister said, without naming the apps or services that were disrupted.

VPNs are widely used around the world to access content that may be inaccessible or blocked to internet users in their home country.

The minister explained that the use of VPNs by large numbers of people to bypass content delivery networks (CDNs) or local caches and connect directly to live servers creates additional strain on the system and ultimately slows down the internet.

“I can state under oath that the government did not shut down or slow down the Internet,” she said, adding that the problem had lasted “a few days.”

However, the government only acknowledged the problem last week when both Ms Khawaja and her uncle, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, spoke about the issue.

When asked about the disturbances after a Senate Standing Committee meeting on Thursday, Ms Khawaja said the matter had been blown out of proportion.

The government operates a “web management system” that is currently being updated, she said.

While using vague terms to describe the government’s actions, Asif acknowledged that there are official efforts to monitor social media content.

“We are in a transition phase after which all these facilities will be available to you,” Mr Asif told the media last week, adding: “There will be some controls to prevent threatening and defamatory content against the state and individuals,” without confirming whether these controls were part of a firewall.

“Problem solved”

The IT minister said on Sunday that she was only commenting on the issue because it had been “resolved today” and that she did not want to make a statement based on “incomplete information”.

She added that the government had worked “tirelessly” to resolve the issue and held meetings with internet service providers and telecommunications companies.

A meeting with Pakistan’s telecommunications authority is also planned for next week to “ensure that users in the country do not face similar problems again.”

However, the minister did not comment on reports of the installation of a national “firewall” – a security system that monitors network traffic but can also be used to control online spaces – which is widely blamed for slowing down broadband connections.

Government initiatives

In her press conference, Ms. Khawaja also listed several initiatives to boost the IT industry and advance the digitization of the government apparatus.

She said the government plans to auction 5G spectrum early next year to make high-speed internet “affordable” and “accessible” to people.

To improve bandwidth, four new internet cables are currently being laid to connect Pakistan with the Gulf and Africa, she said.

According to Ms Khawaja, the government is focusing on digitizing the bureaucracy. For this purpose, a draft bill to form a National Digital Commission has been submitted to the Ministry of Law.

The new body, chaired by the Prime Minister, will oversee the digitization of the economy and government.

This digital intervention eliminates paperwork and eliminates bottlenecks in control and administration.

Support for the IT industry

The minister added that Rs 60 billion has been allocated for IT projects in the budget for this fiscal year, of which Rs 4 billion will be spent on training youth.

Over 300,000 young people are being trained by Chinese electronics company Huawei, while the government is also talking to Google, Microsoft and Meta about training young people in IT-related skills.

She said that to reduce capital costs for small and medium IT companies, two new technology parks would be set up in Karachi and Islamabad.

A fund of Rs 2 billion has been set aside to support and invest in startups, and a ‘BridgeStart program’ is planned for companies whose products have already attracted commercial interest.

These companies would be referred to international accelerators for promotion and research.

Published in Dawn, August 19, 2024