ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s internet service providers are losing more than a million dollars on a daily basis since the country’s telecommunications regulator has blocked their Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to curb grey telephony, industry giants said on Wednesday.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) recently installed a web management system (WMS) to identify and block any online content classified as unlawful under local laws.
The authority has directed all internet service providers to get their IP addresses whitelisted to continue their services uninterrupted. However, industry giants have termed the authority’s process as “cumbersome, bureaucratic and time-consuming.”
“This new [PTA] regulation has affected around 400 companies and their businesses, and more than 10,000 employees,” Wahaj-us-Siraj of the Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (ISPAK) told Arab News on Wednesday.
The association is a private body of 25 broadband service providers in Islamabad, and it has demanded a suspension of the IP blocking instruction for at least three months in a letter to the PTA.
“The PTA takes at least fifteen days to process a company’s whitelisting request … It is unthinkable that any business in the fast-paced world of IT can wait for that long,” he said.
“Our international customers are cancelling their orders and turning to India and Bangladesh … This is costing us over a million dollars per day,” he added.
The companies which are affected by the new regulations include call centers, IT firms, and information technology enabled services and software houses. These companies cannot use video conferencing, virtual private networks (VPNs) and Voice over Internet Protocols (VoIPs), which they routinely employ otherwise to interact with their clients, until their IPs are white-listed.
The association of internet service providers has urged the PTA to create an online portal to process and approve IP address-related requests within 60 minutes.
“In the current situation when Pakistan fights the corona pandemic and countries are enforcing work from home …. PTA is working backwards to block IP addresses to protect certain interest groups,” said the ISPAK letter to the PTA.
The authority, on the other hand, maintained that all education institutes and online businesses can use “legal” VoIP, VPN and video conferencing applications to continue their online activities without any restrictions.
All legal VoIP, VPN and video conferencing apps, such as WhatsApp, Skype, Google Meets, Zoom, Blue Jeans, Cisco WebEx, Team Viewer, Meraki VPN, are available to be used for virtual education and business, the PTA said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The PTA is only taking action against those [who are illegally] using VoIPs and VPNs which causes losses to the national exchequer,” Khurram Ali Mehran, spokesman for the PTA, told Arab News.
He also refuted the internet service providers’ claim that the PTA was taking at least fifteen days to process their whitelisting applications.
“Currently IPs are being whitelisted within 24 hours from applying for the same,” Mehran said. “Applicants have been asked to apply immediately for whitelisting even if all documents are not ready and they can provide the documents later.”
Pakistan's internet service providers flay PTA over IP whitelisting process
https://arab.news/w5aj9
Pakistan's internet service providers flay PTA over IP whitelisting process
- Say the government’s decision to block IP addresses has affected around 400 companies and their businesses
- PTA claims it is taking action against companies to curb grey telephony
High-level Libyan delegation meets Pakistan PM, discusses areas for future cooperation
- The meeting comes over a month after Pakistan reportedly struck a $4 billion defense deal to sell military equipment to Libyan National Army
- PM Sharif reaffirms Pakistan’s commitment to fostering friendly ties with Libya, emphasizes the importance of continued engagement and dialogue
ISLAMABAD: A high-level delegation from Libya on Tuesday called on Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad and discussed areas for future cooperation between the two sides, PM Sharif’s office said.
The delegation comprised Dr. Osama Saad Hamad, who governs eastern Libya, Libyan National Army (LNA) Commander-in-Chief Khalifa Abu-al-Qasim Haftar and his deputy, Lt. Gen. Saddam Khalifa Haftar.
During the discussions, both sides exchanged views on matters of mutual interest and underscored the importance of strengthening bilateral relations, according to PM Sharif’s office.
“The meeting reflected the shared desire to enhance cooperation in areas of common concern and to promote peace, stability, and development at regional and international levels,” Sharif’s office said in a statement.
The development comes more than a month after reports suggested Pakistan had struck a $4 billion defense deal to sell military equipment, including JF-17 fighter jets and Super Mushshak trainer aircraft, to the LNA that controls eastern Libya.
The reports followed the visit of Pakistani Defense Forces Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir to Libya in December. There has been no official confirmation of the deal so far.
Libya has been subject to a UN arms embargo since 2011, requiring approval from the UN for transfers of weapons and related material. It was not clear whether Pakistan or Libya had applied for any exemptions to the UN embargo.
PM Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to fostering friendly relations with Libya and emphasized the importance of continued engagement and dialogue, according to his office. The Libyan leadership appreciated Pakistan’s role and expressed interest in expanding collaboration between the two countries.
“The meeting concluded with an understanding to maintain close contact and explore avenues for future cooperation,” Sharif’s office said.
On Monday, LNA Commander-in-Chief Haftar also met Field Marshal Munir and discussed with him military cooperation and regional security, according to the Pakistani military.
“Both sides exchanged views on matters of mutual interest, with particular focus on security dynamics in respective regions and professional cooperation,” the Pakistani military said.
“The discussion underscored the importance of continued engagement and collaboration between the Armed Forces of Pakistan and Libya.”
