ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority said on Tuesday a fault in an international submarine cable near the port city of Karachi had slowed Internet speeds across the country but steps were being taken to fix the issue and “alternative arrangements” had been made to provide uninterrupted service to customers.
The fault was in the AAE-1 (Asia-Africa-Europe-1) international submarine cable, one of six international submarine cables landing in Pakistan. It runs from South East Asia to Europe across Egypt, connecting Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar, India, Pakistan, Oman, UAE, Qatar, Yemen, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Greece, Italy, and France.
The AAE-1 cable system deploys 100 gigabytes per second transmission technology, with a minimum design capacity of 40 terabytes per second.
“One of the international submarine cables at sea near Karachi has reported a malfunction which caused some disruption in Internet traffic,” PTA said on Twitter. “However, alternative arrangements are being made by the relevant service providers to provide additional bandwidth and requirements to provide uninterrupted Internet services to the customers. Steps are being taken to fix the problem, but it may take time.”
“PTA has directed the operators to ensure uninterrupted Internet services under alternative arrangements,” the authority added.
In October this year, AAE-1 was reportedly cut near Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, causing Internet services across Pakistan to be disrupted, with users reporting sluggish performance on their connections.
Internet services were also disrupted countrywide in February this year when one of the six international submarine cables developed a fault near Abu Talat, Egypt. The fault was later repaired by Trans World Associates, one of the two license holders for international landing stations of submarine cables.
Fault in international submarine cable near Karachi slows Internet across Pakistan
https://arab.news/pdthc
Fault in international submarine cable near Karachi slows Internet across Pakistan
- The fault was in the Asia-Africa-Europe-1 international submarine cable
- PTA directs operators to ensure uninterrupted Internet services through alternative arrangements
UN torture expert decries Pakistan ex-PM Khan’s detention
- Khan’s party alleges government is holding him in solitary confinement, barring prison visits
- Pakistan’s government rejects allegations former premier is being denied basic rights in prison
GENEVA: Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan is being held in conditions that could amount to torture and other inhuman or degrading treatment, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on torture warned Friday.
Alice Jill Edwards urged Pakistan to take immediate and effective action to address reports of the 73-year-old’s inhumane and undignified detention conditions.
“I call on Pakistani authorities to ensure that Khan’s conditions of detention fully comply with international norms and standards,” Edwards said in a statement.
“Since his transfer to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on September 26, 2023, Imran Khan has reportedly been held for excessive periods in solitary confinement, confined for 23 hours a day in his cell, and with highly restricted access to the outside world,” she said.
“His cell is reportedly under constant camera surveillance.”
Khan an all-rounder who captained Pakistan to victory in the 1992 Cricket World Cup, upended Pakistani politics by becoming the prime minister in 2018.
Edwards said prolonged or indefinite solitary confinement is prohibited under international human rights law and constitutes a form of psychological torture when it lasts longer than 15 days.
“Khan’s solitary confinement should be lifted without delay. Not only is it an unlawful measure, extended isolation can bring about very harmful consequences for his physical and mental health,” she said.
UN special rapporteurs are independent experts mandated by the Human Rights Council. They do not, therefore, speak for the United Nations itself.
Initially a strong backer of the country’s powerful military leadership, Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote in 2022, and has since been jailed on a slew of corruption charges that he denies.
He has accused the military of orchestrating his downfall and pursuing his Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and its allies.
Khan’s supporters say he is being denied prison visits from lawyers and family after a fiery social media post this month accusing army leader Field Marshal Asim Munir of persecuting him.
According to information Edwards has received, visits from Khan’s lawyers and relatives are frequently interrupted or ended prematurely, while he is held in a small cell lacking natural light and adequate ventilation.
“Anyone deprived of liberty must be treated with humanity and dignity,” the UN expert said.
“Detention conditions must reflect the individual’s age and health situation, including appropriate sleeping arrangements, climatic protection, adequate space, lighting, heating, and ventilation.”
Edwards has raised Khan’s situation with the Pakistani government.
