P@SHA Calls Out Government’s Lack of Consultation on Internet Disruption

As millions in Pakistan continue to experience intermittent internet disruption affecting both communication and businesses, the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) has criticized the government’s lack of consultation on the issue.

“We want to work with the government. Why have we been excluded?” said Ali Ihsan, P@SHA’s Senior Vice Chairman, on Geo News’ program “Geo Pakistan.”

His comments come as people and businesses struggle with slow internet speeds or restricted access. Experts link these issues to increased security and surveillance due to the installation of a firewall intended to block unwanted content.

P@SHA Calls Out Government’s Lack of Consultation on Internet Disruption

This internet firewall filters and blocks undesirable content and inspects information from various internet protocol addresses. It includes a keyword filtering system to detect content deemed undesirable or a threat to national security. Such content will likely be camouflaged and hidden from outside users. This filter will check social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter).

Additionally, the government is preparing to prevent the “misuse” of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). Citizens may be required to inform the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) about their VPN usage.

Despite accusations, the government denies responsibility for the internet slowdown, attributing the issue to VPN usage. “I can swear that the government of Pakistan did not block the internet or slow it down. Turning VPN on slows down the phone,” stated a government official during a press conference.

Ali Ihsan recalled that no issues had arisen in the past decade because P@SHA was kept in the loop. He questioned why they were excluded this time. “P@SHA and PTA had previously discussed VPN bans, and we advised how businesses could be protected. If we were consulted this time, we would have suggested whitelisting IT businesses and not subjecting them to the internet firewall,” Ihsan said.

“We cannot provide solutions if we are not informed. If included now, we would advise disabling certain features for two weeks and then releasing them after thorough testing,” he added.

See Also: Pakistan Completes Second Trial of Controversial Firewall Amid Slow Internet

Ihsan stressed that some filtering mechanism had been in place for the past decade. He also questioned what had changed to affect businesses this time.

Commenting on the economic impact, Ihsan revealed that P@SHA estimates a $300 million loss due to existing complaints and reputational damage. “If someone planned to give you a $10-15 million business and decides against it, other clients will also have doubts,” he noted.

He emphasized that internet slowdowns have affected 40% of BPO services for leading IT companies. “A leading healthcare company in Pakistan, primarily doing business in the US, had 200 lines down for a week, while another company reported losing contracts,” Ihsan noted.

“I was negotiating a $500,000 contract when my virtual call dropped for about an hour and a half,” he lamented.

Reacting to government comments about VPNs, Ihsan questioned how many people could be using VPNs simultaneously. He also suggested that the internet firewall might be bypassing content delivery networks (CDNs), choking internet traffic.

“We fear that improper integration of certain technologies will prevent this issue from being resolved in the short term,” Ihsan said.

The Pakistan Freelancers Association (PAFLA) has also called on the government to address internet issues. They revealed that 2.3 million freelancers have faced difficulties in delivering work on time. “There is a chance that our [Pakistan’s] rating will be downgraded due to freelancers’ failure to deliver on time,” said PAFLA CEO Tufail Ahmed Khan. He also added that the internet shutdown is affecting the country’s economy.