Pakistan has been struggling with extremely slow internet for weeks, leading to a debate over the cause.
Some activists accuse the government of trying to build an internet firewall similar to China’s in order to control online activities.
They believe the slow internet is part of a larger plan to curb political expression and dissent, according to the BBC.
Officials, however, deny these claims. Minister of State for Information Technology Shaza Fatima said on Sunday that the government is not behind the internet issues.
Instead, she blamed the widespread use of VPNs (virtual private networks), which are causing the network to slow down. She assured the public that her team has been working hard with internet providers to fix the problem.
Despite these assurances, activists like Shahzad Ahmad from Bytes for All claim they have proof that the government is indeed creating a firewall to monitor and restrict online activity.
The BBC reports that Ahmad believes this move is aimed at limiting political expression and access to information.
Businesses are also feeling the impact of the slow internet. The Pakistan Software Houses Association warned that this issue could cost the IT sector up to $300 million and might lead to a mass exodus of IT companies if the situation is not resolved quickly.
According to the BBC, a petition has even been filed in the Islamabad High Court, urging the court to declare internet access a fundamental right under Pakistan’s constitution.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj621kk020lo