State Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, has firmly dismissed claims that the government is intentionally throttling the internet. During a press conference in Islamabad on Sunday, she emphasized, “The report of the government throttling the internet is wrong.” She further clarified that the government has not slowed down or shut down the internet.
Addressing the recent disruptions in internet services, particularly affecting media transmission on WhatsApp, Khawaja explained that the issue stemmed from the increased use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) by the public. “Some services of a few apps were affected because those services weren’t being downloaded. So a big chunk of the population started to operate on VPNs,” she noted.
She pointed out that the higher usage of VPNs for bypassing Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) and directly connecting to live servers placed additional strain on those servers, which may have led to a slowdown in internet speeds. “This pressure caused a slowdown,” Khawaja said. “I will say under oath that the government neither shut down nor slowed down the internet.”
Despite these assurances, the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) expressed concerns, warning that Pakistan’s economy could lose up to $300 million due to internet disruptions. Ali Ihsan, senior vice chairman of P@SHA, stated that the implementation of a national firewall could lead to prolonged internet disconnections and erratic VPN performance, potentially causing a “complete meltdown of business operations.”
Responding to these concerns, Khawaja mentioned that the government has been in constant communication with technical experts, internet service providers (ISPs), and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to address the issue. She assured that the matter has been resolved and that the government is working to prevent future disruptions.
Khawaja also urged responsible internet usage, emphasizing that reckless discussions about Pakistan online could harm the IT industry, deter investment, and negatively impact freelancers. “We have to talk about Pakistan very responsibly. The biggest thing that harms the [IT] industry is the perception,” she warned.
Her remarks followed reports by AFP and other digital rights defenders, who suggested that the government might be testing a firewall to monitor and regulate content. However, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, the Defence Minister, hinted at “some controls to prevent threatening and defamatory content against the state and individuals,” without confirming the use of a firewall.
Prominent journalist Hamid Mir has challenged the government in the Islamabad High Court over the “apparent installation of a firewall,” with the case scheduled for hearing on Monday. Since July, internet speeds have reportedly been up to 40 percent slower than usual, raising concerns among users and digital rights advocates.
