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
Pakistan arrests suspect arriving from Cambodia amid crackdown on human smuggling
- Suspect worked at an “online fraud company” in Cambodia, later started smuggling people from Pakistan, says FIA
- Pakistan has intensified crackdown against human smugglers after hundreds of migrants drowned near Pylos in 2023
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Sunday said it had arrested a key suspect involved in smuggling humans who had arrived from Cambodia, alleging he was also part of an international fraud network.
The suspect, identified as Zainullah, was arrested by FIA officials when he arrived in the southern port city of Karachi from Cambodia.
Zainullah had traveled from Pakistan to Cambodia in September 2024, a press release issued by the agency said.
“He worked at an online fraud company in Cambodia and later became involved as an agent in recruiting individuals from Pakistan,” the FIA said.
The FIA said it recovered images of multiple individuals’ passports, payment receipts and bank transaction records after extracting data from Zainullah’s phone.
It said the suspect received money through personal bank accounts and a cryptocurrency account.
“The suspect has been handed over to the FIA Anti-Human Trafficking Circle, Karachi, for further legal proceedings,” the FIA said.
“Further investigation is underway.”
Pakistan intensified action against illegal migration in 2023 after hundreds of migrants, including 262 Pakistanis, drowned when an overcrowded vessel sank off the Greek town of Pylos, one of the deadliest boat disasters in the Mediterranean.
Authorities say they continue to target networks sending citizens abroad through dangerous routes, following heightened scrutiny at airports and a series of arrests involving forged documents.
Pakistan’s interior ministry said this week illegal migration to Europe has declined by 47 percent this year after its nationwide crackdown, saying that more than 1,700 human smugglers have been arrested in 2025.
