Internet Disruptions Across Pakistan Impact Daily Life, Online Businesses Face Significant Losses

Islamabad, The Gulf Observer: Cities across Pakistan experienced widespread internet disruptions on Sunday, affecting users’ ability to browse, download, and share media on popular platforms such as WhatsApp, Gmail, Instagram, and TikTok. The issue, confirmed by outage tracker Downdetector, was most prominent in Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, and Rawalpindi, with spikes in service interruptions for major digital services.

The disruption severely impacted online businesses, with a telecom industry executive estimating economic losses between Rs2 billion and Rs2.3 billion per day. “Telecom revenues in Pakistan total roughly Rs3 billion daily, with 60-70% linked to internet services, particularly mobile 3G and 4G,” he stated. The executive warned of a substantial negative impact on the country’s economy and GDP.

Internet disruptions are not new in Pakistan. Recent outages have coincided with political events, including last week’s service interruptions during the PTI’s protest in Islamabad. Additionally, the government’s internet firewall tests in July and August caused widespread slowdowns, raising concerns about digital platform stability.

Despite Sunday’s slowdown, no official cause has been confirmed. However, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister for IT, assured the public that cellular data services are fully functional and called the issue “temporary.” She acknowledged the challenges, stating, “I will not deny [it], surely difficulties do exist,” while promising swift resolution.

Addressing the ongoing restriction of X (formerly Twitter), Khawaja emphasized that the platform is restricted due to security concerns, affecting less than 2% of the population. She denied broader censorship, noting that platforms like Facebook and TikTok remain fully accessible. The restriction, she explained, was initially lifted for government officials to handle diplomatic communications when foreign leaders used X to congratulate Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

On the topic of cybersecurity, Khawaja stressed that Pakistan faces millions of cyberattacks daily, defending the government’s measures to enhance cybersecurity. “There is nothing controversial if a country takes measures for improving its cybersecurity,” she said, downplaying concerns over censorship and asserting that freedom of expression remains intact.

Despite these issues, Khawaja highlighted Pakistan’s IT sector growth, with IT export figures showing a 40% year-on-year increase. She attributed this to the industry’s resilience and ongoing government support, including plans to auction 550 to 600 MHz of internet spectrum in April 2025 to improve bandwidth and speed.

The minister also acknowledged infrastructure challenges, particularly the insufficient number of telecom towers relative to population growth. To address this, the government has developed policies to encourage fiber-optic investments, aiming to enhance high-speed internet access. Additionally, she revealed plans for four new submarine cable connections by 2025 to boost connectivity.

As Pakistan navigates its digital future, the government remains committed to addressing both immediate disruptions and long-term infrastructure needs, ensuring that the country’s IT sector continues its rapid growth trajectory.