Businesses, civil society condemn internet disruption in Pakistan

Say such shutdowns undermine constitutional rights and fundamental freedoms

The business community and civil society of Pakistan condemned the disruption of internet on Thursday following Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan's arrest two days ago, stating that such shutdowns “undermine constitutional rights and fundamental freedoms”.

“Such shutdowns and blocking or filtering of Internet services unjustifiably limit the rights of peaceful assembly and freedoms of association and expression, especially when such actions lack the principle of necessity and proportionality as well as procedural fairness and transparency,” the statement said.

The statement added that millions of Pakistanis rely on the internet to undertake essential business activities.

“By blocking, filtering, or shutting down these services, the government is eroding civic space; fostering a climate of economic uncertainty and disrupting access to healthcare, emergency services and financial services,” it stated.

The business community and civil society further maintained in the statement that internet disruptions have a negative impact on Pakistani startups.

Read Section 144 imposed across Punjab amid rising unrest

“The affectees also include the hundreds and thousands of freelancers and digital creators. In addition, Pakistan earned around $2 Billion in IT exports during 2022, a critical source of funding for a country that is struggling to meet its foreign exchange needs. The FY2022-23 target set by the PM and IT Minister is $5 Billion,” the statement added.

The statement further requested the government to lift the restrictions, calling on the authorities to refrain from imposing partial or complete internet shutdowns.

“It is only when we understand the issue of internet access as one of fundamental human rights can we take measures to ensure access on an equal and non-discriminatory basis,” the statement read.

Internet services in Pakistan were disrupted on May 9 for an “indefinite period” as protests erupted after PTI chairman Imran Khan’s arrest from the Islamabad High Court premises in the Al-Qadir Trust case.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said that the Ministry of Interior issued the directives to block mobile broadband services. Major social media sites, including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, were also reportedly down for many users in Pakistan as they were unable to access these platforms.