Firewall stirs NA debate as internet crawls

The controversy over sluggish internet speeds and the rumoured installation of a firewall on Monday stirred a debate in the National Assembly, with opposition raising concerns.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member Rai Hassan Nawaz Kharal criticised the current government, accusing it of fearing the youth and resorting to the installation of a firewall to control internet access.

Responding to these concerns, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar took to the floor, neither confirming nor denying the firewall claims but assuring that efforts are underway to iron out the kinks in the nation's IT infrastructure.

"The government aims to enhance the entire IT system," Tarar said. "The issue of internet slowdown will be resolved within the next five to six days."

Tarar further mentioned that the Minister for IT would provide a detailed response on the matter, but had to return to Lahore due to his mother's illness.

Addressing another query, Tarar acknowledged that laying fibre optic networks posed a significant challenge.

He also noted that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had already provided its stance on the firewall issue, highlighting that there were many rumours. "We will see significant improvements in the coming days," he assured.

Amnesty International

Meanwhile, in a related development, Amnesty International has called on Pakistani authorities to shed light on the recent nationwide internet slowdown, urging greater transparency regarding the use of monitoring and surveillance technologies.

"Amnesty International urges the Pakistani authorities to be transparent about the cause of these internet disruptions and ensure that they do not deploy monitoring and surveillance systems that are unnecessary, disproportionate, and in violation of international human rights law," the rights group said in a statement.

"The opacity of the Pakistani authorities regarding the use of monitoring and surveillance technologies that block content, slow down, and control internet speeds is an alarming concern," it said.

"Time and again, the use of such technologies, including national firewalls, has proven to be incompatible with human rights.

Pointing out the broader implications of such measures, Amnesty International noted that the use of these tools undermines online freedom of expression and access to information.

"Time and again, the use of such technologies, including national firewalls, has proven to be incompatible with human rights," it warned.