ISLAMABAD: A senior official of the Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@sha) urged the government on Monday to “whitelist” IT businesses and exclude them from a national firewall that authorities are moving to implement to monitor and regulate content and social media platforms.
Internet speeds in Pakistan had dropped by 30-40 percent over the past few weeks, the Wireless and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (WISPAP) said last week, as the federal government moves to implement a nationwide firewall to block malicious content, protect government networks from attacks, and allow the government to identify IP addresses associated with what it calls “anti-state propaganda.” IT Minister Shaza Khawaja has repeatedly said the government did not plan to use firewalls as a form of censorship.
Last week, the Pakistan Business Council (PBC) warned that frequent Internet disruptions and low speeds caused by poor implementation of the firewall had led many multinational companies to consider relocating their offices out of Pakistan, with some having “already done so.” The Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) said in a press release on Thursday Pakistan’s economy could lose up to $300 million due to Internet disruptions caused by the imposition of the firewall.
“If they consult us, we can tell them to exclude IT businesses from this process and whitelist them,” Senior Vice Chairman P@sha, Ali Ihsan, said in an interview to a local TV channel on Monday. “There is no need for the IT business to go through the firewall since our identification is already tracked against the record.”
“We have a suspicion that the firewall is bypassing the Content Delivery Networks,” he added, referring to a group of geographically distributed servers that speed up the delivery of web content by bringing it closer to where users are.
“This is why the Internet traffic is choking. Till technical details aren’t discussed with us, we can’t guide them [government] to a solution.”
Ihsan questioned why the government was not consulting with the IT sector on its firewall surveillance plans when P@sha and the IT ministry had been working together for many years.
“When we were in the loop for the past ten years, did anyone even know about the firewall or was there any obstruction?” Ihsan said. “We want to work with the government so that the economy doesn’t get impacted and the system keeps functioning. We have to support the economy and bring back dollars.”
Ihsan said many countries installed firewalls to monitor Internet traffic but “the level of surveillance being carried out differentiates,” adding that the firewalls used by China and the United Arab Emirates were considered “severe” but Pakistan might be employing even more “extreme surveillance technology.”
Pakistan recorded $298 million in IT exports in June, up 33 percent from the year before. During the fiscal year that ended in June, IT exports were worth $3.2 billion, up 24 percent from $2.5 billion in the fiscal year 2023.
Pakistan has already blocked access to social media platform X since the February elections, with the government saying the blocking was to stop anti-state activities and due to a failure by X to adhere to local Pakistani laws. Rights activists say the blocking of X is designed to stifle critical voices and democratic accountability in the country.
Pakistan software association urges government to exclude IT businesses from Internet firewall
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Pakistan software association urges government to exclude IT businesses from Internet firewall
- Pakistan might be employing “extreme surveillance technology,” P@sha vice chairman says
- P@SHA warns economy could lose up to $300 million due to Internet disruptions from firewall
Pakistan highlights Gwadar transshipment role as shipping routes face disruption over regional tensions
- Pakistani ports possess “untapped potential” to attract global shipping lines for transshipment operations, says minister
- Pakistan eyes leveraging Gwadar as regional transshipment hub as Iran’s closure of Strait of Hormuz disrupts global maritime trade
KARACHI: Pakistan’s Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Thursday highlighted the importance of the port city of Gwadar’s transshipment role as major shipping routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, face disruption due to Iran’s ongoing conflict with the US and Israel in the Gulf.
The meeting takes place as Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway that lies between it and Oman. It is one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes, with roughly 20 percent of global oil supplies passing through it. Iran has vowed it will attack any ship that enters the strait, causing energy prices to rise sharply on Monday amid disruptions to tanker traffic in the waterway.
Gwadar is a deep-sea port in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province that lies close to the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistani officials have in the past highlighted Gwadar’s geostrategic position as the shortest trade route to the Gulf and Central Asia, stressing that it has the potential to become a regional transshipment hub.
Chaudhry chaired a high-level meeting of government officials to assess emerging logistical challenges facing Pakistan’s trade, particularly in the energy sector, amid tensions in the Gulf.
“Special focus was placed on fully leveraging the potential of Gwadar Port as a regional transshipment hub and positioning it as an alternative of regional instability,” Pakistan’s maritime affairs ministry said in a statement.
The minister said Pakistani ports possessed “significant untapped potential” to attract international shipping lines for transshipment operations, noting that it could also ensure long-term sustainability and growth of the country’s maritime sector.
Participants of the meeting discussed measures to strengthen Pakistan’s position as a viable alternative transit and transshipment destination, as key waterways are affected by the disruption.
The committee also reviewed proposals to amend relevant rules and regulations to facilitate international transshipment operations through on-dock and off-dock terminals.
The chairmen of the Port Qasim Authority, Karachi Port Trust and Gwadar Port Authority attended the meeting, briefing committee members on the current operational readiness of their ports. They spoke about the available capacity for container transshipment, bulk cargo handling and refueling services at Pakistani ports.
The port in Gwadar is a central part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), under which Beijing has funneled tens of billions of dollars into massive transport, energy and infrastructure projects in Pakistan.
Pakistan has long eyed the deep-sea port as a key asset that can help boost its trade with Central Asian states, the Gulf region and ensure the country earns valuable foreign exchange.
