Pakistan is in discussions with Starlink, the satellite internet company owned by Elon Musk
Senate Standing Committee on IT Expresses Strong Displeasure Over Slow Internet in the Country
“Our ministry has no role in this matter. We want the internet to run faster. We want to protect the industry,” said Shiza Fatima.
“If the internet is to be shut down, then the Ministry of IT should be shut down,” said the Committee Chairperson.
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Pakistan is in discussions with Starlink, the satellite internet company owned by Elon Musk, to introduce its services in the country, Minister of State for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja confirmed.
“We are in talks with Starlink to bring them to Pakistan,” Shaza Khawaja told the Senate Standing Committee on IT and Telecommunication, a local news outlet reported.
The minister’s comments come amid widespread internet disruptions faced by millions of users across the country.
Shaza Khawaja also shared plans to auction the 5G spectrum in April 2024, marking a step towards modernising the country’s digital infrastructure.
However, she acknowledged that the absence of investment in the IT sector over the past three years has created significant challenges in meeting the increasing demand for internet services.
The Senate Standing Committee on IT expressed strong displeasure over the slow internet in the country, stating that such issues would destroy the IT industry. Minister of State for IT Shiza Fatima revealed that terrorists have become very advanced and are using VPNs. She acknowledged that the internet service in the country has indeed deteriorated. PTA Chairman Hafeez Rehman stated that VPN licenses will be issued starting January 1, and that there is no policy to slow down the internet. Senator Afnan Ullah asked for an example of a terrorist incident where a VPN was used, suggesting that the internet slowdown was due to firewall issues. The Minister of State did not provide an answer. Committee Chairperson Plousha remarked that if the internet needs to be shut down, then the Ministry of IT should be closed.
On Thursday, the Senate Standing Committee on IT met under the chairmanship of Plousha at the Parliament House. The meeting was attended by Senators Kamran Murtaza, Humayun Mehmood, Afnan Ullah, Anusha Rehman, and others. Minister of State for IT Shiza Fatima, IT Secretary, PTA Chairman, and other officials were also present.
Chairman of the Pakistan Software Houses Association (Pasha), Sajjad Syed, informed the committee that the country was losing 1.3 billion rupees daily due to internet shutdowns, which have led to a 30% reduction in orders. He emphasized that VPNs are essential, and terrorism should be condemned in all forms. He further explained that Pakistan is being isolated digitally due to internet disruptions, and highlighted the growing IT exports of other countries. He also pointed out that 30 million households are linked to the IT industry, and it is growing at a rate of 30%. Pasha proposed that the government register VPNs locally due to security concerns with free VPNs.
Senator Kamran Murtaza questioned why India had not faced similar issues when it comes to national security. IT Secretary stated that India had shut down the internet in Kashmir, but the committee chairperson responded that if the Ministry of Interior instructs to shut down the internet, it would ruin the country’s exports and they might as well shut down the Ministry of IT itself.
The IT Secretary explained that previously the entire country’s internet would be shut down during Muharram, but now it is only done in specific areas, with minimal impact on regular users. Senator Kamran Murtaza questioned whether internet shutdowns had reduced terrorism. PTA Chairman responded that VPN licenses would be issued starting January 1, 2025, and 30,974 VPNs have already been registered. Senator Afnan Ullah remarked that internet speeds were slowed down and now VPNs were being blamed for the issue. He also mentioned issues with WhatsApp messages not going through.
The committee chairperson asked PTA to clarify how much the internet had been deliberately slowed down, questioning whether it was being intentionally hindered. PTA Chairman replied, “By God, there is no policy to slow down the internet.” This statement was met with laughter in the committee. He explained that 275 megahertz of spectrum were in use, and an important spectrum case had been in court for 22 years. He also criticized the lack of investment in the country’s IT sector compared to India, which has connected villages with fiber optics.
Senator Plousha pointed out that this issue was new and had worsened over the past six months, despite no new investment in infrastructure. Senator Humayun Mehmood questioned why internet speeds had slowed down in the last six months if there had been no investment for over ten years. Senator Afnan Ullah reiterated that the slowdown might be due to firewall issues. Ministry of Interior officials informed the committee that they had instructed PTA to block illegal VPNs on November 15.
Senator Anusha Rehman pointed out that countries like the UAE and Saudi Arabia have controlled digital media but not shut down the internet. Senator Afnan Ullah questioned the Ministry of Interior’s legal authority to instruct PTA to block VPNs. Ministry officials clarified that no letter had been issued to PTA with strict instructions to block VPNs. Senator Anusha Rehman suggested that the government first prove that VPNs are being misused before blocking them.
Senator Afnan Ullah argued that millions of users were being affected, and the issue needed to be resolved. Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Waqar Khan, mentioned that under the PECA (Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act), VPNs could be blocked. Senator Afnan Ullah disagreed, stating that under PECA, technology and social media tools could not be blocked.
Senator Kamran Murtaza raised concerns about the control of the internet and compared the situation to monarchies, questioning the legality of Prime Minister’s use of a VPN to access Twitter. PTA Chairman responded that he could not answer that question and explained that the committee had asked for legal opinions regarding the Ministry of Interior’s instructions to block VPNs. On November 29, PTA had written a letter to the Ministry of Interior, but no reply had been received yet.
Minister of State Shiza Fatima stated that the Ministry of Interior takes action for security reasons, and PTA implements it. She emphasized that their ministry has no role in slowing down the internet, and they want the internet to run faster, aiming to protect the industry. She acknowledged the recent rise in terrorism and the use of advanced technology by terrorists, including VPNs. Chairperson Plousha questioned what it meant for terrorists to become “advanced.” Shiza Fatima responded that changes to the PECA law were being considered to regulate fake news, which disturbs the government.
Shiza Fatima also mentioned that the IT sector had not received any investment in the past three years, and the government was working to clear 550 megahertz of spectrum. She said that 5G spectrum would be auctioned in April, and discussions were ongoing with China to connect fiber optics to Pakistan. Infrastructure problems were contributing to slow internet speeds. Kamran Murtaza questioned why internet speed had slowed down specifically in the last six months, and Senator Afnan Ullah asked for proof of terrorist use of VPNs, which Shiza Fatima declined to answer, citing security concerns.
Senator Saifullah Nyazi suggested that infrastructure issues could lead to a temporary slowdown, but not frequent fluctuations in speed. Shiza Fatima acknowledged the slow internet issue but added that the PTA was working to address the challenges and had engaged with Starlink to potentially bring its services to Pakistan.