Millions of people in Pakistan continue to be plagued by problems with WhatsApp, with many unable to send or receive even basic text messages. The issues have been going on for weeks and no one knows when they will end. The glitch was first reported by WhatsApp owners. The end of meta The Pakistani government’s own incompetence has been exposed.
WhatsApp is one of the most frequently used internet messaging apps in Pakistan. 111 million internet users It is expected to grow to 100,000 by early 2025, up from 87.35 million in early 2023. Nearly one in two internet users in Pakistan has the app installed on their smartphones for calling and messaging on the go, but WhatsApp has become the latest casualty of Islamabad’s internet speed throttling.
The government had earlier dealt a similar blow to X (formerly Twitter), citing national security concerns. Despite the ban, Pakistanis continue to access X through virtual private networks (VPNs).
Speaking about VPNs, Pakistan’s minister said the slowdown in internet speeds was due to private users across the country using the technology. Shaza Fatima, minister of information technology and communications, told reporters at a press conference that the government was not slowing or blocking the internet.
“We want to reassure the public that the internet has not been blocked or slowed down by the government,” the Pakistani English-language daily reported. dawn While the minister acknowledged the ongoing internet outages, she said the issue was “limited to certain apps not downloading some services,” shifting the blame for the slow speeds onto VPN users.
The Pakistan government also Denying the prohibition of X After more than a month of blocking, they finally admitted that they had blocked the platform.
Industry experts and professionals have warned that government meddling in the internet will only exacerbate problems in Pakistan’s service industry. 50 percent They account for 10 percent of the South Asian country’s workforce. The internet crisis has prompted many multinational companies to start considering relocating or relocating their operations, the Pakistan Business Council said in an Aug. 17 report. statementHe warned that if the problem was not addressed it could cost the country up to $300 million.
The internet outages have also put the spotlight on Pakistan’s judiciary, as two high courts have sought responses from the government on the matter. In separate hearings, the Lahore and Islamabad high courts have sought direct responses from government officials and representatives of the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA), which has remained silent about the internet slowdowns.
The petition in the Islamabad High Court was filed on August 21 by prominent Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir through his lawyer Iman Zainab Mazari Hajir, “seeking relief against blatant violation of the fundamental rights of citizens through installation of firewalls, drastic slowdown in internet speed, daily disruptions of the network and denial of these issues by the federal government,” the court said. dawn.
The Islamabad High Court is scheduled to resume hearing the case on August 26. The court is awaiting responses from the parties involved.
The internet shutdown comes amid widespread discontent in Pakistan over the state of the economy. Inflation is soaring and the government has sharply increased taxes and electricity tariffs, saying they are necessary to meet the terms of an International Monetary Fund package. Many Pakistanis believe The government is trying to make ordinary taxpayers foot the bill for the lavish lifestyle of the ruling class.
In his June budget presentation, Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb unveiled a 25% salary increase for civil servants, followed by unprecedented tax hikes for ordinary salaried workers. was heavily criticized“Life for the average Pakistani will become even harder,” Dawn’s editorial argued.
Given this, some see the internet slowdown as a bold attempt by the Pakistani government to silence critics in the digital space.
Amid this turmoil, the Pakistani army announced it was taking action against one of its own soldiers. Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed (ret.), former director of Pakistan’s top intelligence agency, the Integrated Intelligence Agency, was placed in military custody after an internal investigation found him guilty of corruption and misconduct.
“Three retired officers are also in military custody for allegedly violating military discipline in connection with the FGCM proceedings of Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed (retd.),” the army’s media wing said in a follow-up. statement.
It is unclear whether Hameed’s arrest is related to the current political and economic storm gripping Pakistan. order Though the order comes from Pakistan’s Supreme Court, Pakistani institutions tend to ignore judicial supremacy unless the court order serves their own interests.
