The Pakistani government has erected an internet firewall over the past few weeks, disputing claims that connection speeds have been significantly slowed.
Instead, the company blamed the prevalence of secure connections and virtual private networks (VPNs) for the slowdown.
The statement came after business groups warned that poor connectivity could lead to a “mass exodus” of IT companies.
Internet shutdowns are a common tactic used by regulators in Pakistan and elsewhere in Asia to stifle dissent.
Since the uprising unleashed by former Prime Minister Imran Khan last year, the government has blocked social media platforms and throttled connection speeds as the battle for public support has spilled from the streets into the digital space.
The microblogging platform “X” has been blocked since the February election due to “national security” concerns.
Khan’s party supporters are avid users of X and he is the most popular Pakistani on the platform with around 21 million followers.
But Shaza Fatima, minister of state for information technology, said on Sunday that the government was not to blame for the recent economic slowdown.
She said her team was “working tirelessly” with internet service providers and telecommunications companies to resolve the issue.
Fatima said “a lot of people” were using VPNs “which put strain on networks and caused internet slowdowns.”
She said reports that the government was to blame for the slow connection speeds were “completely false”.
But Fatima said the government has been upgrading systems to improve cybersecurity.
“The government’s right [take such measures] Given the cybersecurity attacks this country has had to go through,” she said.
Business leaders and organisations have warned that slow connection speeds could jeopardise Pakistan’s business potential.
The Pakistan Software Houses Association said the case could cost the IT sector up to $300 million and was a “direct, concrete and aggressive attack on the industry’s viability.”
“Unless immediate and decisive action is taken, a mass exodus of tech companies is no longer just a possibility but an imminent reality,” the report said.
Activists have filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court, seeking that access to the internet be declared a fundamental right under Pakistan’s constitution.
Additional reporting by BBC Urdu
